Appressorium

/ˌæprɛˈsɔːriəm/ noun

A specialized structure in fungi that allows them to attach to and penetrate plant surfaces; a fungal organ of attachment.

From Latin 'appressus' (pressed against) plus '-orium' (a place or thing for). This scientific term was coined in the late 1800s to describe the fungal adaptation that presses against plant cells before infection.

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