spore

1. The asexual or sexual reproductive body of fungi or sporozoan protozoa. 2. A cell of a plant lower in organization than the seed-bearing spermatophytic plants. 3. A resistant form of certain species of bacteria. 4. The highly modified reproductive body of certain protozoa, as in the phyla Microspora and Myxozoa. [G. sporos, seed]

- black s. a degenerating malarial or other blood parasite in the body of the mosquito.

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spore 'spō(ə)r, 'spȯ(ə)r n a primitive usu. unicellular often environmentally resistant dormant or reproductive body produced by plants, fungi, and some microorganisms and capable of developing into a new individual either directly or after fusion with another spore

spore vi, spored; spor·ing to produce or reproduce by spores

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n.

a small reproductive body produced by plants and microorganisms. Some kinds of spores function as dormant stages of the life cycle, enabling the organism to survive adverse conditions. Other spores are the means by which the organism can spread vegetatively. See also endospore.

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(spor) [L. spora, Gr. spora seed] 1. a refractile, oval body formed within bacteria, especially genera of the family Bacillaceae (Bacillus, Clostridium, Desulfotomaculum, Sporolactobacillus, Sporosarcina), which is regarded as a resting stage during the life history of the cell, and is characterized by its resistance to environmental changes. Called also bacterial s. 2. the reproductive element, produced sexually or asexually, of one of the lower organisms, such as protozoa, fungi, or algae. See asexual s., sexual s., and sporulation.

Various types of fungal spores.