Spore

Sporangia on the underside of the leaf of a fern
Conidiophore of Hyaloperonospora parasitica harboring several conidia

Spores are the way fungi and some non-seed plants (ferns and mosses) reproduce.[1][2] They are also made by bacteria for long-term survival. Some protozoa also make long-term survival spores.

The spores of seed plants are single cells that grow into a pollen grain or the gametophyte inside the ovule. The structure of seeds in higher plants is more complicated than spores. The main 'innovation' of seeds is their nutrition for the developing embryo, which spores do not have.

  1. "Spore FAQ - Aerobiology Research Laboratory". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  2. Ingold C.T. 1939. Spore discharge n land plants. Oxford University Press.

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