microsporidian

English

Etymology

From Microsporidia +‎ -an.

Noun

microsporidian (plural microsporidians or microsporidia)

1. Any of many parasites, of the class Microsporidia, considered to be fungi or close relatives of fungi.

   Synonym: microsporidium

   • 1983, James J. Bull, Evolution of Sex Determining Mechanisms, page 94:

     Bulnheim subsequently observed that either of two parasitic microsporidians, Octosporea effeminans and Thelohania herediteria, were invariably associated with the thelygeny.

   • 1993, Yoshinori Tanada, Insect Pathology, page 425:

     Moreover , the sequence of ribosomal RNA suggests that the microsporidia are extremely ancient eukaryotes and had separated very early from other eukaryotes.

Related terms

• microsporidial
• microsporidiosis