What is the Difference Between Conidia and Sporangiospores

The main difference between conidia and sporangiospores is that conidia are exposed to the external environment at maturity whereas sporangiospores are enclosed from the external environment at maturity.

Conidia and sporangiospores are two types of fungal spores. Fungi reproduce asexually by means of conidia and sporangiospores.

Key Areas Covered

1. What are Conidia
– Definition, Characteristics, Importance
2. What are Sporangiospores
– Definition, Characteristics, Importance
3. Similarities Between Conidia and Sporangiospores
– Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Conidia and Sporangiospores
– Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Conidia, Sporangiospores

What are Conidia

Conidia are the asexual non-motile spores of the fungi Ascomycetes. Mitosis is the cellular process through which conidia are generated. Therefore, another name for conidia is mitospores. Conidia are haploid spores and they are identical to their haploid parents. Moreover, conidia germinate when the conditions become favorable in the environment. The asexual reproduction of Ascomycetes forms conidia. Conidiophores are the specialized stalk on which the conidia forms.  

Figure 1: Conidia

During the germination of conidia, germination tubes may form from the conidia. This germ tube consequently forms the fungal hyphae. Since conidia are haploid, the fungal hyphae that form are also haploid and identical to the parents. The fungal hyphae later develop into mycelium. 

What are Sporangiospores

Sporangiospores are another form of asexual spores produced by the fungi in the Zygomycetes group. The main important feature of the sporangiospores is the development of the fungal spores inside the sporangium, which encloses the sporangiospores from the external environment even at the maturity of the fungal spores. In addition to that, sporangiospores contain haploid nuclei and cytoplasm. A tough outer membrane encases each haploid nucleus and the cytoplasm. During asexual reproduction, fungal spores disperse through the wind and germinate into haploid hyphae.

Figure 2: Sporangiospores

Moreover, sporangiospores play an indirect role in the sexual reproduction of Zygomycetes fungi. During sexual reproduction, two haploid fungal hyphae join together to form zygosporeangium in response to unfavorable conditions. Consequently, the fusion of the haploid nuclei forms diploid nuclei. Under favorable environmental conditions, the zygosporangium undergoes miosis and produces a sporangium that releases the spores.  

Similarities Between Conidia and Sporangiospores

• Conidia and sporangiospores are two types of asexual spores produced by fungi.
• Both types of spores are generated through mitosis.
• Moreover, these asexual spores are haploid and identical to the parents.
• The main function of the two types of spores is to serve as biological dispersal units.

Difference Between Conidia and Sporangiospores

Definition

Conidia refer to spores produced asexually by various fungi at the tip of a specialized hypha while sporangiospores refer to the spores produced and contained within a sporangium.

Enclosed or Not

Usually, conidia are exposed to the external environment at maturity while sporangiospores are enclosed from the external environment at maturity.

Type of Reproduction

Conidia are asexual spores while some of the sporangiospores are sexual spores.

Type of Fungi

Ascomycetes are the fungi that produce conidia while Zygomycetes are the fungi that produce sporangiospores.

Conclusion

In brief, conidia and sporangiospores are two types of asexual spores fungi produce. Generally, Ascomycetes fungi produce conidia while Zygomycetes fungi produce sporangiospores. Conidia are exposed to the external environment at the maturity of the spores while sporangiospores are enclosed by the sporangium and do not expose to the external environment at their maturity. Therefore, the main difference between conidia and sporangiospores is the enclosure of the spores to the environment at the maturity of the spores.

References

1. “Fungi Reproducing Asexually by Means of Conidia.” Conidia.
2. “Fungi Reproducing Asexually by Means of Sporangia.” Asexual Sporangia.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Conidium” By en:user – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Mature sporangium of a Mucor sp. fungus” By CDC – Own Work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia