Blastoconidia/Blastospores are spores formed by

Blastoconidia/Blastospores are spores formed by

• A. Fragmentation
• B. Sexual reproduction
• C. Budding
• D. Direct division

Answer: (C)

Blastoconidia are produced by budding, an asexual process where a small outgrowth forms on the parent cell, enlarges, and may detach to become a separate cell. This is typical of many yeasts, such as Candida and Saccharomyces, where the new cell that buds off is the blastospore. Fragmentation would create arthroconidia from hyphal segments, not blastoconidia. Direct division (fission) yields equal daughter cells without budding. Sexual reproduction would form sexual spores (like ascospores or basidiospores), not blastoconidia. So budding is the mechanism that best explains blastoconidia formation.

Blastoconidia are produced by budding, an asexual process where a small outgrowth forms on the parent cell, enlarges, and may detach to become a separate cell. This is typical of many yeasts, such as Candida and Saccharomyces, where the new cell that buds off is the blastospore.

Fragmentation would create arthroconidia from hyphal segments, not blastoconidia. Direct division (fission) yields equal daughter cells without budding. Sexual reproduction would form sexual spores (like ascospores or basidiospores), not blastoconidia. So budding is the mechanism that best explains blastoconidia formation.