What is Zoospore?

Zoospore Meaning and Properties

Zoospores are motile asexual spores that are found in bacteria, fungi and protists. These spores are flagellated and possess different ultrastructural properties in different organisms. Some of the common properties are :

• They are naked
• They do not possess any walls
• They cannot divide
• They utilise their endogenous food reserve
• They can swim for hours
• They shed their flagella to encyst and form a wall
• They use the help of environmental signals to travel to the site of their encystation.

Types of Flagella in Zoospores

Zoospores consist of two types of flagella organised in various combinations. Let us find the two types:

• Tinsellated: These flagella have a filament-like structure called mastigonemes that is perpendicular to the main axis. This arrangement gives a rudder-like appearance and helps the organism in steering.
• Whiplash: These are straight, default flagella. It helps in propelling the organism through any medium.

Types of Zoospores

The four types of zoospores are as follows:

1. Chytridiomycota are characteristic of posterior whiplash flagella. They mostly have a single flagella but Neocallimastigales have upto 16 flagella.
2. The second type are anisokonts. They are biflagellated having two unequal flagella. They are characteristic of Plasmodiophoromycota and Myxomycota.
3. They have a single anterior tinsel type flagella and are seen in Hypochytriomycetes.
4. Oomycota and Heterokonts are chracterised by the presence of both tinsel and whiplash flagella that are attached either anteriorly or laterally.

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