Conidia produced at tip of conidiophores in fungi are :

Options

A. always diploid
B. mitospores
C. meiospores
D. produced sexually

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Conidia**: Conidia are a type of spore produced by fungi during asexual reproduction. They are formed at the tips of specialized structures called conidiophores.

2. **Characteristics of Conidia**:
- Conidia are thin-walled and non-motile, meaning they do not have cilia or flagella for movement.
- They are exogenous, which means they are formed outside of a sac or body, unlike some other types of spores that may be enclosed.
- Conidia are produced in favorable environmental conditions, which is essential for their development.

3. **Types of Spores**: In fungi, there are different types of spores, including zoospores and sporangiospores. However, conidia are specifically associated with asexual reproduction.

4. **Haploid Nature of Conidia**: Conidia are haploid spores, meaning they contain a single set of chromosomes. This is a crucial point because it distinguishes them from other types of spores.

5. **Distinction from Myospores**: Myospores are diploid spores produced through sexual reproduction and undergo meiosis. Since conidia are haploid and produced asexually, they do not qualify as myospores.

6. **Conclusion**: Therefore, the correct classification of conidia is that they are haploid mitospores produced asexually at the tips of conidiophores in fungi.

**Final Answer**: Conidia produced at the tip of conidiophores in fungi are haploid mitospores.

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