Fungus
Cryptococcus neoformans
Encapsulated yeast
KRIP-toh-KOK-us nee-oh-FOR-manz
High-yield clue
Encapsulated yeast + India ink/cryptococcal antigen vocabulary.
Overview
An encapsulated yeast used to teach capsule visualization, cryptococcal antigen vocabulary, and opportunistic fungal associations.
Classification
- Fungus
- Yeast
- Encapsulated organism
Lab & identification clues
- Capsule concept
- India ink historical vocabulary
- Cryptococcal antigen test concept
Associations
- Meningitis vocabulary in immunocompromised hosts
- Bird-dropping environmental association
- Opportunistic fungal concept
Commonly confused with
- Candida albicans
- Histoplasma capsulatum
Your notes
Original student-study summary. Sources checked: OpenStax Microbiology 2e, NCBI Bookshelf Medical Microbiology, and CDC topic pages where applicable; reviewed 2026-06. Educational only; no diagnosis, treatment, dosing, or specimen-handling guidance.