A zygospore is a reproductive part of a
fungusA fungus is any member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. The Fungi are classified as a kingdom that is separate from plants, animals and bacteria...
, a
chlamydosporeA Chlamydospore is the thick-walled big resting spore of several kinds of fungi. It is the life-stage which survives in unfavourable conditions, such as dry or hot seasons....
that is created by the nuclear fusion of haploid hyphae of different mating types.
A zygospore remains dormant while it waits for environmental cues, such as moisture, heat, or chemicals secreted by
plantPlants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. They include familiar organisms such as trees, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The scientific study of plants, known as botany, has identified about 350,000 extant species of plants, defined as seed plants,...
s.
When the environment is favorable, the zygospore germinates, meiosis occurs, and a
sporangiumA sporangium is a plant, fungal, or algal structure producing and containing spores. Sporangia occur in angiosperms, gymnosperms, ferns, fern allies, bryophytes, algae, and fungi...
is produced at the end of a sporangiophore. The sporangium sheds
sporeIn biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions...
s.
A fungus that forms zygospores is called a zygomycete, indicating that the
classIn biological classification, class is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, order, family, genus, and species, with class fitting between phylum and order...
is characterized by this evolutionary development.
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