monokaryon
|mo-no-ka-ry-on|
🇺🇸
/ˌmɑnoʊˈkærɪən/
🇬🇧
/ˌmɒnəˈkærɪən/
single-nucleus fungal cell
Etymology
'monokaryon' originates from Greek (used in New Latin/scientific coinage), specifically the word 'monokaryon', where 'mono-' meant 'single' and 'karyon' meant 'nut' or 'kernel' (used to denote 'nucleus').
'monokaryon' changed from the Greek elements 'mono-' + 'karyon' and was coined in New Latin/scientific terminology; it later entered English usage (notably in 20th-century mycological literature) as 'monokaryon'.
Initially, it meant 'single nucleus' (literally), but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a fungal cell or mycelial compartment containing a single nucleus (as opposed to a dikaryon)'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a fungal cell or mycelial compartment that contains a single nucleus per cell (in contrast to a dikaryon, which has two nuclei per cell).
A monokaryon often arises when spores germinate and form hyphae with a single nucleus per compartment.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/14 06:25