Reproduction in Nostoc 5 different types


Nostoc is a Colonial, filamentous algae as mucilaginous balls that belongs to the class cyanophyceae (Blue green algae)



  • Sexual reproduction is absent


    • Reproduction in Nostoc 5 different types
      Asexual Reproduction
      1. Fragmentation: the colony breaks up into many pieces and each forms a new colony or old trichomes breaks up into fragments and each forming new filaments

      2. Hormogonia: are short, small motile filaments with rounded ends. These small filaments are without heterocyst and come out of the mucilage sheath, undergo division and form new colonies

      3. Akinetes: Large sized, unicellular, thick walled, resting spores with plenty of reserve food in the cytoplasm
      Highly resistant to high temperature and extreme environments
      It can tide over unfavourable conditions
      On return of favourable condition, it germinate to form new filaments

      4. Heterocyst germination: In species like N.commune, heterocysts serves as resting spores and directly germinate to form new filaments.
      The protoplasm undergoes continuous division  and forms a germling
      On favourable condition, wall of heterocyst rupture and germling comes out and forms a new trichome.

      5. Endospores: Non flagellated, thin walled, naked spores formed within cells by the division of protoplast.
      Protoplast of the cell divides into small bits and each bit forms an endospore
      In species like N.commune
      More on Nostoc:  Nostoc Taxonomic position, Habitat and Cell structure
                                      Heterocyst of Nostoc: Structure and Function
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