sporulate
/'spɔ:rjuleit/
Definition
- Verb:
- To produce spores: In biology, to undergo the process of forming or releasing spores, which are tiny, typically single-celled, reproductive units capable of developing into a new individual without sexual fusion. This is a characteristic process in fungi, some bacteria, and plants like ferns.
- To convert into spores: To change or develop into spore form.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Under the right conditions of moisture and temperature, the mold will begin to sporulate.
- Ferns sporulate on the undersides of their fronds.
- The laboratory culture was observed to sporulate after 48 hours.
Advanced Usage
- Technical/Biological Context: The term is almost exclusively used in scientific, medical, or mycological contexts to describe a specific phase in a life cycle.
- The pathogen's ability to rapidly sporulate makes it difficult to control.
Variants and Related Words
- Sporulation (n): The process or act of producing spores.
- Sporulation is a key survival mechanism for many microorganisms.
- Spore (n): The reproductive cell produced by sporulation.
- Sporogenous (adj): Relating to or involved in spore formation.
Synonyms
- Produce spores
- Form spores
Notes on Meaning
- The verb "sporulate" is intransitive in its primary meaning ("the fungus sporulates"). The sense "convert into spores" can be used transitively in more technical descriptions (e.g., "the cell sporulates its contents").
Verb
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convert into spores
-
produce spores
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plants sporulate
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