crypto-, crypt-

The habitat of cryptozoa or the collective name for the small (generally microscopic) animals that permanently live under conditions with high relative humidity.

Many of them can be found in any sample of wet soil; a large part of the cryptozoa has not yet been identified by science.

An infectious condition of human and domestic animals, characterized by fever, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. It is spread by a protozoan of the genus Cryptosporidium.

A water-borne protozoan parasite that contaminates drinking water supplies, causing intestinal infections in human beings and domestic animals.

The text part of a message that is in a coded form.

Having hidden toxic properties; said of a solution normally nontoxic, but which may become toxic when the colloidal balance is disturbed.

Any substance whose toxic characteristics are not readily apparent or are hidden by other benign characteristics.

A secret fetish for women's underwear: Randy's cryptovestiphilia revealed an abnormally obsessive preoccupation or interest regarding the underwear of women.

Produced by completely concealed volcanic action.

A substance present in a variety of foods (e.g., eggs and corn) that can be converted to vitamin A by many animal livers.

In geology, the geologic time interval for which the corresponding rocks show limited evidence of primitive life forms [see the excerpts that follow].

The earliest rocks on earth with elaborate fossils are said to belong to the "Cambrian age"; and the entire four-billion-year history of our planet that preceded it has been, until recently, dismissed as the "pre-Cambrian age". Now that the traces of life have unmistakably been found in it, the more appropriate name Cryptozoic eon (hidden life) is used, while the last 600 million years make up the "Phanerozoic eon" (visible life).

The Cryptozoic eon is even divided into two sections:
The earlier "Archeozoic era" (ancient life), to which the first traces of unicellular life belong, and the later "Proterozoic era" (early life).

A malarial parasite at the state in its life cycle when it is present in the host's body tissue: Important to know is that the expoerythrocyte stage of growth of the cryptozoite effected by an infected mosquito occurs before it invades the red blood cells.

The study of animals whose existence has yet to be proven: Cryptozoology includes the investigation or research of legendary creatures like the Loch Ness (Nessie), the Yeti, jackalope (half jackrabbit, half antelope), Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Ogopogo, etc.

Descriptive of a narrow face as compared with the width of the cranium (head), so that when the skull is viewed from above, the zygomatic arches are not visible.

The "zygomatic arches" are formed by the temporal process of the zygomatic bone (bone which forms the prominence of the cheek) that joins the zygomatic process (arch of bone beneath the orbit) of the temporal bone or the large irregular bone situated in the base and side of the skull.