Question

Asexual reproduction in fungi takes place by:
(a) Endospore
(b) Gametangia
(c) Exospores
(d) Conidiospore

Answer 1

Hint: The mode of reproduction in fungi is by the means of spore formation. The excess nutrients are also stored by them in the form of starch. The spore produced are asexual in nature and are formed outside their cells.

Complete answer:
Conidia are asexual non-motile spores of fungi. Spore formation is the tiny structures of the blob-on-a stick involved in reproduction. The blobs are called sporangia, containing cells or spores that can grow into new fungi eventually. Thick walls that shield them when they come into contact with another moist surface are protected by the spores and can continue to expand further
In the sexual reproduction of the fungi, there is the presence of two-parent cells or the mycelia. In this process, only the cytoplasm fusion occurs while the nuclei do not fuse with each other thus resulting in the presence of two nuclei that are found in a single cell due to this the nuclei remain close to each other. When nuclei remain close to each other then this will lead to the fusion of both the nuclei together which later form spies by the process of meiosis. Here the cell undergoes plasmogamy, which is a stage in which cytoplasm fuses but the nuclei remain unfused and undivided and leads to sexual reproduction in fungi.
The sexual reproduction of the fungi undergoes three stages which include plasmogamy, karyogamy, and meiosis. In fungi, the sexual reproduction occurs when the environmental conditions get worse for the fungi. The mycelium starts the process of reproduction. In the process of karyogamy, the nuclei form a diploid zygote after its fusion. And after the process of meiosis, the sports are formed and are released into the air.

So, the correct answer is ‘Conidiospore'.

Note:
Endospore is a non-dormant, tough and hard spore formed by the bacteria that is non-reproductive in nature. Gametangia are the specialized cells in which gametes are produced by certain organisms like algae, ferns, etc. Exospores are produced by unicellular organisms like fungi, algae, and bacteria and are also called germ cells that help in the production of the new organisms.