A single asexual spore produced by fungi, capable of developing into a new fungal organism without sexual reproduction.
From Greek 'konia' (dust) with Latin diminutive suffix '-idium' (small). Early mycologists named these because of their dust-like appearance when magnified or observed in clusters.
Conidia are nature's version of a copy-paste function—they let fungi rapidly clone themselves, which is why a single spore landing on bread can grow into visible mold within hours.
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