Chlamydoconidia are spores formed by

• A. Fragmentation of hypha
• B. Budding of a cell
• C. Shedding from a hypha
• D. Rounding up of a cell; thick-walled

Answer: (D)

Chlamydoconidia are thick-walled resting spores that form when a fungal cell rounds up inside the hypha and develops a robust, protective wall. This rounding and wall thickening create a durable spore that can survive harsh conditions until growth conditions improve. This mechanism—rounding up of a cell with thickening of the cell wall—is what defines chlamydoconidia. It differs from other spores: arthroconidia arise from fragmentation of the hypha into individual cells, blastoconidia form by budding of yeast cells, and sporangiospores are shed from a sporangium.