Mycorhizae

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Fungal associations with plant roots that enhance nutrient and water absorption; symbiotic relationships benefiting both fungi and host plants; the fungal components involved in these root partnerships
2. Networks of fungal organisms intertwined with plant roots to improve nutrient uptake; mutualistic partnerships between fungi and plants; the structures formed in these beneficial root interactions
3. Fungi growing in close connection with roots, aiding plants in acquiring nutrients and moisture; cooperative symbiosis between fungi and plants; the fungal elements participating in root integration activities

Etymology: "Mycorrhizae" is the plural of "mycorrhiza", a term built from two Greek roots: "mykes" (fungus) and "rhiza" (root). Put together, it names the partnership in which fungal threads live around or inside plant roots, trading minerals and water from the soil for sugars the plant makes through photosynthesis. The plural form is the one most people encounter, since the association covers a huge range of plants and fungi rather than a single pairing. The singular "mycorrhiza" is the form that appears when discussing one such root system.

Synonyms: mycorrhiza