Question

What is a zygospore?

Answer 1

Hint: A zygospore is dormant and does not activate until it receives signals from environmental cues. These environmental cues received by the zygospore include light, heat, moisture and chemicals that are released by plants.

Complete answer:
Zygospore is the diploid reproductive phase in the life cycle of many organisms like fungi and protists. These zygospores are created by the nuclear fusion of haploid cells. Zygocytes are sexual cells. These zygospores are formed in zygosporangia in fungal cells. Zygospores are generally thick and store large amounts of food reserves. They have a resistant cell wall. Long lasting and temporary cysts of zygotes appear in protist species along with fungi.
Zygosporangia are formed because of the fusion of specialized structures formed for budding. These structures arise from the mycelia of the fungi. Mycelia are the vegetative part of a fungus. They consist of a mass-branching, thread-like structure. These specialized budding structures may also be chlamydospores.
Sporangia are produced at the end of a single sporangiophore. These sporangiophores release spores and are produced in fungi. Zygospore producing fungi are called zygomycetes. These fungi indicate that the class of fungi is characterized by evolutionary development of the fungi.

Note:
Eukaryotic algae form zygospores by the fusion of unicellular gametes. These gametes are different types. These eukaryotic species include various organisms like many species of Chlorophyta.
These zygospores germinate in environments favorable for germination and germinate through meiosis. Haploid vegetative cells are released after germination through meiosis.