noun
- A spore produced inside an ascus, the characteristic reproductive structure of ascomycete fungi.
Usage: biology; mycology
Examples
- Ascospores are released from the ascus when it matures and ruptures.
- The fungus spreads through the air by dispersing ascospores.
- Under the microscope, we observed eight ascospores arranged in a single ascus.
- Ascospores are typically haploid and can germinate to form new fungal colonies.
- Many plant diseases are caused by fungi that reproduce via ascospores.