Plural of conidium; asexual spores produced by fungi that can spread and grow into new fungal organisms without requiring sexual reproduction.
From Greek 'konia' (dust) combined with the diminutive suffix '-idium'. The name refers to the dust-like appearance of these spores when they cluster together on fungal structures.
Conidia are how fungi spread—they're so tiny and numerous that a single moldy orange can release billions of spores into the air, which is why mold spreads so quickly in your kitchen.
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