hypha

hy·pha   (hī'fə)    n.   pl. hy·phae (-fē) Any of the threadlike filaments forming the mycelium of a fungus. [New Latin, from Greek huphē, web; see webh- in Indo-European roots.] hy'phal adj.

Main Entry: hy·pha
Pronunciation: 'hI-f&
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural hy·phae /-(")fE/
: one of thethreads that make up the mycelium of a fungus, increase by apical growth, and are coenocytic or transversely septate —hy·phal /-f&l/ adjective

hypha hy·pha (hī'fə)
n. pl. hy·phae (-fē)
A long, slender, usually branched filament of fungal mycelium.

hypha   (hī'fə)  Pronunciation Key  Plural hyphae (hī'fē) One of the long slender tubes that develop from germinated spores and form the structural parts of the body of a fungus. In many species of fungi, hyphae are divided into sections by cross walls called septa. Each section contains at least one haploid nucleus, and the septa usually have perforations that allow cytoplasm to flow through the hypha. A large mass of hyphae is known as a mycelium, which is the growing form of most fungi. From time to time, hyphae develop reproductive structures that are partitioned from the hypha by holeless septa. In many species, these structures are microscopic; in others, they are visible and large. Mushrooms and shelf fungi are visible reproductive structures of fungi.