arbuscular
ar-BUS-kyuh-ler
Definition
Relating to or characterized by small, branched, tree-like structures formed by certain fungi that penetrate the cells of plant roots to exchange nutrients.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin word 'arbuscula', which is the diminutive form of 'arbor' meaning 'tree', referring to the branching, tree-like appearance of the fungal structures under a microscope.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe a specific type of symbiotic fungus that is suppressed by pesticide residues, highlighting how human-applied chemicals can disrupt critical underground biological relationships.
A single teaspoon of soil from a healthy forest floor contains more living organisms — bacteria, fungi, protists, nematodes — than there are humans on Earth, and most of the species in that spoonful have never been named or described
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com