Plural of coccus; spherical or nearly spherical bacteria, a major group of disease-causing and beneficial microorganisms.
From Latin coccus, from Greek kokkos meaning 'grain' or 'seed,' because these bacteria resemble tiny round seeds under the microscope.
When doctors see 'cocci' in a lab report, it's often bad news—strep throat, pneumonia, and staph infections are all caused by cocci bacteria, making shape a useful diagnostic clue.
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