SCIENTIFIC NAMES OF FUNGI
Candida albicans
The word “candidate” comes from the Latin word “candidatus,” which means “clothed in white.” It is derived from “candidus,” meaning “white” or “pure, bright.”
In ancient Rome, individuals running for public office wore white togas as a symbol of their purity and sincerity. These white garments made them easily identifiable in public and symbolized their intentions and virtues.
Over time, the term “candidatus” evolved into the modern word “candidate,” referring to someone seeking a position, honor, or membership, particularly in a political context.
The name of the fungi was chosen because many species of Candida produce white, creamy colonies when grown in culture. When someone is affected with the disease candidiasis, white patches in the mouth, soreness, and difficulty swallowing can occur.
The word “albicans” comes from the Latin word “albicō” meaning “to become white.” It is the present participle of this Latin verb, so “albicans” literally translates to “becoming white” or “whitening.” The root “albus” in Latin means “white.”
The word “albinism” comes from the same root. Albinism is a genetic condition characterized by a lack of melanin, the pigment that gives color to the skin, hair, and eyes. As a result, individuals with albinism often have very light or white skin and hair.
“Candida albicans” is somewhat redundant, as both parts of the name refer to the whitish appearance of the fungus.
Aspergillus fumigatus
The genus name “Aspergillus” is derived from the Latin word “aspergillum,” which is a device used to sprinkle holy water. This refers to the spore-producing structures of the fungus, which resemble the shape of an aspergillum. The spores produced by Aspergillus and many other fungi are called conidia. The term “conidium” comes from the Greek word “konidion” meaning “small cone or top,” referring to the shape of these fungal spores. The specialized structures that bear and produce these conidial spores are called conidiophores. The word “phore” is from “ferre,” meaning to bear or carry. So, this structure carries conidia, which is why it is named so. These conidiophores are shaped like an aspergillum.
The species name “fumigatus” comes from the Latin word “fumigatus,” meaning “smoky” or “fuming.” This refers to the color of the fungal spores, which appear grey-green or “smoky” in appearance.
Aspergillus niger
The species name “niger” comes from the Latin word “niger,” meaning “black.” This black color is due to the dark pigmentation of the fungal spores. The black pigmentation provides protection from sunlight and UV radiation, giving A. niger a competitive advantage over other microbes. I think you have guessed “Nigeria” is from the same origin.
Trichophyton rubrum
The genus name “Trichophyton” is derived from the Greek words “thrix” meaning “hair” and “phyton” meaning “plant.” Trichophyton fungi are characterized by their ability to invade keratinized tissue like hair, so their name contains the word for hair.
The word “tricho-” is used in several other biological terms related to hair and hair-like structures. For example:
Trichome is A hair-like outgrowth from the epidermis of a plant.When a bacterium has flagella, the bacterium is called “trichos bacteria”
The use of the word “phyton” in the genus name “Trichophyton” is a bit misleading, as it suggests a connection to plants when in fact Trichophyton is a genus of fungi. The reason for this terminology is historical. When the genus was first named and classified, fungi were still considered to be a type of plant life. As our understanding of fungal biology has evolved, we now know that fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants.
The species name “rubrum” in Trichophyton rubrum refers to the reddish pigment produced by this fungus, which is a common cause of athlete’s foot, ringworm, and nail infections in humans.
Rhizopus oryzae
The genus name “Rhizopus” is derived from the Greek words “rhiza” meaning “root” and “pous” meaning “foot” (as in octopus), referring to the root-like structures of the fungus. The species name “oryzae” means “of rice” in Latin, as this fungus is commonly found in rice and rice products.
Cryptococcus neoformans
The genus name “Cryptococcus” comes from the Greek words “kryptos” meaning “hidden” and “kokkos” meaning “berry” or “grain.” The “kokkos” part of the name refers to the spherical appearance of the fungal cells.
The “kokkos” part refers to the fact that they exist as spherical, encapsulated yeast cells, in contrast to the multicellular, filamentous forms of many other fungi. Yeasts are a specific type of single-celled fungus. They are unicellular, while many other fungi are multicellular. They primarily reproduce asexually by budding, while many other fungi reproduce via spores.
The spherical shape of bacteria is also referred to through the term “coccus.” For example, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus are genera of spherical-shaped bacteria.
The “kryptos” part of the name indicates that the fungus is not easily detected or recognized. The thick polysaccharide capsule surrounding the yeast cells helps the fungus avoid detection by the host’s immune system. Its capacity to remain dormant or cause no obvious symptoms of infection for an extended period of time is described through the term “kryptos.”
The species name “neoformans” means “new-forming” in Latin.
We have talked about how the term “coccus” refers to the fungus’s yeast-like appearance in the host. But specifically, this fungus has an ability to transition between the yeast state and the filamentous state. The filamentous state refers to the long, branching filaments called hyphae in fungi. Its ability to take on different morphological forms, transitioning between a yeast state and a filamentous state, which is a key characteristic of this species, is described by the term “neoformans.”