Question | Answer |
Aerial hyphae/mycelium | hyphae above the agar surface |
Alternate | used to describe arthroconidia in a chain separated by cells which break down to release the conidia |
Anamorph | asexual, ”imperfect” reproductive stage |
Annellide | a conidiogenous cell which elongates and leaves a scar ring with the production of each conidium |
Anthropophilic | dermatophytes that are restricted to human hosts |
Antler hyphae | hyphae terminating in broad irregular branches resembling antlers |
Arthroconidium | conidia formed in chains by the breaking up of a hyphae at the point of septation. The resulting cell may be rectangular or barrel shaped and thick or thin walled, depending on the genus. |
Ascocarp | fruiting structure of the sexual reproductive stage with internally formed asci |
Ascospore | sexual spore produced in a sac-like structure known as an ascus. Commonly there are 4 to 8 ascospores in an ascus. |
Ascus | a sac like structure that contains ascospores |
Aseptate | hyphae without cross walls. Characteristic of Zygomycetes. |
Biseriate | a vesicle in Aspergillus bearing two layers of cells - metulae and phialides |
Blastoconidium | conidium formed by budding along a hyphae, pseudohyphae, or single cell, as in the yeasts. |
Chlamydospore | thick-walled somewhat resistant structure formed at end of hyphae (terminal) or in the middle of hyphae (intercalary). Also a vesicle formed by Candida albicans. |
Clamp connection | small, curved hyphal outgrowth at a septum forms a looped bridge between two adjacent cells. Formed only in Basidiomycetes. |
Clavate | club-shaped |
Cleistothecium | round or oval sexual fruiting body without an opening and with asci irregularly dispersed in centre |
Collarette | flared or straight-sided cell wall remnant at the tip of a phialide or base of a columella |
Columella | dome-shaped top of a sporangiophore, contained in a sporangium |
Conidiogenous | structure that produces conidia |
Conidioma | an asexual, conidium-bearing structure |
Conidiophore | specialized hyphal structure that serves as a stalk on which conidia are formed |
Conidium (pl. conidia) | asexual reproductive structure that forms externally on the side or the end of the hyphae or conidiophore |
Cottony texture | high dense aerial mycelium |
Dematiaceous | hyphae, conidia, or spores that are brown to black |
Denticle | small hair-like projection on which a solitary conidium is formed |
Dichotomous | branching of hyphae into two equal branches that are each equal in diameter to the hyphae from which they originated |
Dimorphic | having two distinct forms. Usually grow filamentously under environmental conditions and convert to special parasitic form (often yeast) in vivo. |
Ectothrix | infection around the outside of the hair shaft |
Endospore | spore produced within the spherule of Coccidioides immitis |
Endothrix | infection with arthroconidia within the hair shaft |
Exudate | droplets of liquid on the surface of a colony |
Favic chandeliers | hyphae terminating in broad irregular branches resembling antlers. Typical of Trichophyton schoenleinii. |
Faviform | blunt, branched hyphal ends |
Foot cell | in Aspergillus, a hyphal cell at the conidiophore base. |
Geophilic | usually recovered from soil, occasionally infect humans and animals |
Glabrous | smooth; without or almost without aerial hyphae. |
Globose | round |
Granular | dense conidia on surface of colony; resembling sugar granules |
Hulle cell | refractile, thick-walled cell, varying in shape, which occurs in some Aspergillus species |
Hyaline | not pigmented, colourless. |
Hyphae | septate or aseptate filament of a fungus; many together compose the mycelium. |
Intercalary | forming in the middle of a hyphae |
Metulae | branch upon which a conidiogenous cell is borne; on a vesicle in Aspergillus or terminal branches in Penicillium |
Microconidium | the smaller of two types of conidia produced by the same fungus |
Moniliform | hyphae with swellings at regular intervals like a string of beads |
Muriform | having both transverse and longitudinal septa |
Nodular bodies | knot of twisted hyphae |
Onychomycosis | infection of the nails |
Ostiole | opening in wall of fruiting body through which conidia are released |
Ovoid | egg-shaped |
Pectinate | hyphal ends which have protuberances resembling a comb |
Pedicel | short filament which attaches a conidium to the hyphae |
Penicillus | brush-like conidiogenous structure with 1-3 levels of branches called metulae and a terminal phialide |
Perithecium | flask-shaped or rounded fruiting body with opening (ostiole) and asci arranged at base of structure |
Phialide | flask shapped conidiogenous cell which neither elongates nor enlarges |
Powdery texture | profusion of conidia on surface of colony; resembles flour |
Pseudohyphae | chains of cells formed by budding that, when elongated, resemble true hyphae; they differ from true hyphae by being constricted at the septa, forming branches that begin with a septation, and having terminal cells smaller than the other cells. |
Pycnidium | conidioma in which conidiogenous cells line the interior cavity and are released through an opening or ostiole; formed by Coelomycetes |
Pyriform | pear-shaped or teardrop-shaped |
Racquet hyphae | hyphae with club-shaped cells, the larger end of one cell being attached to the smaller end of an adjacent cell. |
Reflexive branching | branches that grow forward and backward at acute angles to the hyphae |
Rhizoid | root-like, branched hyphae |
Rugose topography | colony in which furrows radiate out from the centre |
Sclerotium | hyphae closely interwoven and cemented together into a hard resistant body |
Scotch Tape Mount | The scotch tape mount is used for examining the microscopic structures of filamentous fungi. With forceps pick up a piece of clear, transparent tape and touch the surface of the colony. Place the tape onto a drop of mounting media on a slide; add another |
Septate | having cross walls |
Sessile | arising from side of hyphae or conidiogenous cell |
Spherule | large, round structure containing endospores; characteristic of Coccidioides immitis in infected host material under direct microscope examination. Spherules do not grow on routine artificial mycology media. |
Spiral hyphae | hyphae forming coiled or corkscrew-like turns |
Sporangiophore | specialized hyphal branch or stalk bearing a sporangium |
Sporangiospore | asexual spore produced in a sporangium |
Sporangium | closed sac-like structure in which asexual spores (sporangiospores) are formed. The sporangium is borne on a stalk known as the sporangiophore. |
Stolon | horizontal, aerial (runner) hyphae which gives rise to rhizoids and sporangiophores |
Sympodial | a succession of conidia formed on opposite sides of hyphal stalk so that the axis pushes past the terminal conidium to form a zig-zag structure |
Teleomorph | sexual reproductive stage of a fungus |
Thallus | fungal colony, mycelium |
Truncate | conidium with a scar flattened off at the point of attachment |
Umbonate topography | colony with centre button-shaped elevation |
Uniseriate | in Aspergillus, a vesicle bearing a single layer of phialides |
Velvety texture | low aerial mycelium with smooth nap, as in velvet cloth |
Verrucose topography | colony furrowed or convoluted |
Verticil | group of conidiogenous cells radiating out from a single point like spokes in a wheel |
Vesicle | inflated end of a conidiophore or sporangiophore |
Woolly texture | colony with high aerial mycelium which appears slightly matted |
Yeast-like colony | soft, pasty, smooth colony; usually without filamentous growth |
Zoophilic | found primarily in animals, occasionally infect humans |
Macroconidium | larger of two types of conidia produced by the same organism; usually is multicelled |