basidiospore

[ buh-sid-ee-oh-spawr, -spohr ]

noun

, Mycology.

1. a spore that is borne by a basidium.

basidiospore

/ bæˈsɪdɪəʊˌspɔː /

noun

1. one of the spores, usually four in number, produced in a basidium

basidiospore

/ bə-sĭd′ē-ə-spôr′ /

1. A sexually produced fungal spore borne on a basidium in the fungi known as basidiomycetes. Basidiospores are produced by the union of the nuclei at the tip of a binucleated segment of a hypha. The resulting zygote then divides by meiosis into four haploid nuclei, each of which migrates to the very tip to be released as a basidiospore. A typical mushroom produces billions of basidiospores.

Derived Forms

• baˌsidioˈsporous, adjective

Other Words From

• ba·sid·i·os·por·ous [b, uh, -sid-ee-, os, -per-, uh, s, -ee-, uh, -, spawr, -, uh, s, -, spohr, -], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of basidiospore¹

First recorded in 1855–60; basidi(um) + -o- + -spore

Example Sentences

D, Passage of a nucleus through the sterigma into the basidiospore.

From Project Gutenberg

The young basidium contains two nuclei, which later fuse; the fusion-nucleus then undergoes two successive divisions, involving a reduction of chromosomes, and each of the four resultant nuclei passes through a sterigma into a basidiospore.

From Project Gutenberg

Some of these terminal cells push out a little finger of protoplasm, which swells, thickens its wall, and becomes detached from the mother-cell as a spore, here called specially a basidiospore.

From Project Gutenberg

Typically, e.g. in the Toad-stools, it is a club-shaped structure, produced at its free end into four slender processes, the sterigmata, each of which bears a basidiospore at its tip.

From Project Gutenberg