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Glite Dictionary
oospore

oospore

9.9
A thick-walled spore formed when an egg cell is fertilized in some algae and fungi
  • noun
  • /ˈoʊəˌspɔr/
  • Specialized
translation icon : oóspora
  • "Sexually produced spores, called oospores, have a protective cell wall that allows them to live in the soil, infected stems, and tubers and still be viable the following season."

Examples

  • Some of the new strains resist fungicides and may mate with strains already here and produce long-lived oospores.

    Academic text (1994)

  • Certain fungi produce oospores that can withstand harsh environmental conditions for extended periods.

  • The algae releases oospores after fertilization, forming a protective structure to ensure survival.

  • Researchers studied how oospores function in the life cycle of marine algae and their resistance to extreme climates.

Surface Forms

oospore singular
oospores plural

Morphology

oospore = spore (semi-transparent) = oo + spore

The term 'oospore' combines 'oo' (egg) and 'spore', but the specific biological context may not be immediately clear to all learners.

Etymology

Oospore comes from the parts oo- meaning 'egg' and -spore meaning 'a tiny reproductive cell'. So an oospore is like an 'egg-spore': an egg cell that, after fertilization, becomes a thick-walled spore able to survive hard conditions.