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An exospore is an asexual spore that is cut off from a parent sporophore by the formation of septa. This term is also used for a subclass of fungi (class Myxomycetes) where spores are borne externally.12

In contrast, endospores are dormant, resting forms produced by some bacteria to survive adverse conditions. These are not an obligate stage but an interruption in the cell's life cycle. Endospores develop within the cell, primarily in bacteria. Methane-oxidizing bacteria, for example, produce desiccation-resistant spores called exospores.34

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