Fungal Spores, Spore Dormancy, and Spore Dispersal

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions related to fungal spores, dormancy, and dispersal.

Fungi

Organisms known for producing spores, with various shapes, sizes, and properties.

Spore Dormancy

A period during which spores remain inactive until conditions become favorable for growth.

Asexual Spores

Spores produced without sexual reproduction, typically by means of mitosis.

Sexual Spores

Spores that develop following the fusion of gametes, leading to genetic recombination.

Mastigomycetes

A division of fungi characterized by flagellated spores, including classes like Chytridiomycetes.

Biflagellate Zoospore

A type of zoospore with two flagella, one of which is a whiplash type and the other being a tinsel type.

Oomycetes

Aquatic fungi causing plant diseases, characterized by cellulose cell walls.

Conidia

Asexual spores produced at the tips of specialized hyphae known as conidiophores.

Ascomycetes

The largest phylum of fungi, known as sac fungi, producing sexual spores in asci.

Basidiomycota

A phylum that includes mushrooms and other fungi, known for producing club-shaped basidia.

Sporangium

A structure where spores are produced and held, especially in fungi.

Phototropism

The growth response of fungi to light, important for dispersal mechanisms such as in Pilobolus.

Ballistospores

Spores that are ejected from the spore-producing structure via a ballistic mechanism.

Gametangial Copulation

The method of sexual reproduction in Oomycetes involving the direct injection of male nuclei into eggs.

Zygospore

A thick-walled resting spore formed during the sexual reproduction of Zygomycetes.