A fungal cell or organism containing two nuclei, especially in fungi where two different fungal cells have fused but their nuclei remain separate.
From Greek 'di-' (two) and 'karyon' (nucleus). This biology term was coined in the late 19th century as mycologists studying fungi needed vocabulary for cells with this unusual nuclear arrangement.
A dikaryon is like a biological roommate situation—two nuclei share one cell but maintain their separate identities, and this is actually a crucial stage in the fungal life cycle that eventually leads to sexual spore production.
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