spore mother cell

9.3

A cell in plants, fungi, or algae that divides to make four spores with half the usual genes

noun
/spɔr ˈmʌðər sɛl/

Specialized

: célula madre de esporas

The spore mother cell undergoes meiosis to produce four haploid spores.

Examples

Each spore mother cell gives rise to a tetrad of spores in flowering plants.
In mosses, the spore mother cell is found within the capsule.
The spore mother cell undergoes meiosis to produce spores.
A spore mother cell can be found in various fungi.
Each spore mother cell gives rise to a tetrad of spores in flowering plants.
In mosses, the spore mother cell is found within the capsule.
The spore mother cell undergoes meiosis to produce four haploid spores.

Synonyms

mother cell

vsspore mother cell

Specialized

6.5

A cell that makes another cell during the growth or reproduction of a living thing

is a specialized diploid unit used for sexual reproduction through meiosis

Surface Forms

spore mother cell singular

spore mother cells plural

Morphology

spore + mother + cell

The term literally denotes a cell that is the ‘mother’ or origin of spores; a learner who knows 'spore' (a reproductive/dormant unit), 'mother' (origin/producer), and 'cell' (biological unit) can infer it is the cell that produces spores. This is regular scientific compounding and mirrors analogous constructions in other languages, so the basic meaning is directly derivable even if finer details (diploid, meiosis) are specialized.

Etymology

Spore mother cell paints a clear picture: the word mother shows this single cell is the parent that makes several spores. So in plants and fungi the name helps you remember it is the cell that 'produces spores' by dividing.