noun
- dormant, tough structures formed inside certain bacteria that can survive extreme conditions
Usage: biology; microbiology
Examples
- Bacillus bacteria form endospores when nutrients become scarce.
- The endospores survived boiling water for several minutes.
- Scientists studied how endospores resist radiation damage.
- Clostridium species produce endospores that can remain viable for decades.
- Heat sterilization must reach high temperatures to destroy endospores.
- The laboratory identified endospores in the soil sample.