Plural of fimbrilla; multiple small fringe-like structures found on bacteria and other microorganisms, used for attachment and movement.
Latin plural form of fimbrilla. This term became standard in microbiology textbooks in the 20th century as scientists studied bacterial surface structures under electron microscopes.
When you see bacteria under an electron microscope, those adorable hair-like structures sticking out are fimbrillae—they're like tiny grappling hooks that help bacteria stick to surfaces and to each other.
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