Cryptococci

/ˌkrɪptəˈkɒkaɪ/ noun

Definition

The plural form of Cryptococcus; refers to multiple cells or colonies of this fungal organism.

Etymology

From 'Cryptococcus' using the Latin plural ending '-i'. This is the standard scientific plural used in medical and mycological literature since the organism's discovery in the 1800s.

Kelly Says

In microbiology labs, saying 'cryptococci' instead of 'cryptococcuses' marks you as genuinely educated—it's Latin pluralization that gives mycologists a way to sound appropriately scientific!

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