Definition

A type of plant body that does not have separate parts like stems, roots, or leaves, and grows in a simple, undifferentiated form.

Example

The thallus of the algae is often flat and leaf-like, allowing it to absorb sunlight efficiently.

Conversation

I was reading about different types of plants, and I came across the term thallus.

Oh really? What's a thallus? I've never heard of that before.

It's basically a plant body that's not divided into roots or leaves, just one whole structure.

That sounds interesting! I guess it's quite different from the usual plants we see.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Thallus comes from the Greek word "thallos" (θάλλος), meaning a young shoot or twig. In biological terms, it refers to the vegetative body of certain fungi, algae, and non-vascular plants that is not differentiated into roots, stems, or leaves.

Memory Tip

Imagine a young shoot or twig ('thallos') that represents the simple structure of certain plants and fungi, helping you remember that 'thallus' refers to their basic vegetative body.

Visually Confused Words