The key difference between spore and vegetative cell is that spore is an inactive, dormant structure that is resistant to harsh environmental conditions while vegetative cell is an active normal growing cell that cannot resist harsh environmental conditions.
Vegetative cells are the normal living cells that are metabolically active. Vegetative cells produce small structures called spores when the environmental conditions are not good for vegetative cells to survive.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is a Spore
3. What is a Vegetative Cell
4. Similarities Between Spore and Vegetative Cell
5. Side by Side Comparison – Spore vs Vegetative Cell in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What is a Spore?
Spore is a small, single cell structure produced by certain bacteria, fungi, algae and nonflowering plants. Spores are asexually or sexually made. They can resist harsh environmental conditions, and they can survive under low nutrient conditions. Once the favorable conditions happen, spores can become active and grow into a new organism. Furthermore, some bacteria produce spores known as endospores that are dormant structures developed from the bacterial cell.
Figure 01: Spores
Spores are metabolically inactive at the most time, and they contain less water content. They are resistant to disinfectants, chemicals, heat, radiation, etc. Some endospores remain unharmed even after boiling.
What is a Vegetative Cell?
The cell which produces spores and which is metabolically active is known as a vegetative cell. Vegetative cell grows rather than producing spores. It contains a high amount of water content, and it is not resistant to harsh environmental conditions. Unlike spores, vegetative cells are susceptible to disinfectants, heat, chemicals, radiation, etc.
Figure 02: Vegetative Cell of Bacterium
Vegetative cell is active and reproductive. When the environmental conditions are not favorable, vegetative cell produces spores that are dormant structures. Moreover, vegetative cells have high enzymatic activity.
What are the Similarities Between Spore and Vegetative Cell?
- Many organisms produce spores and have vegetative cells.
- Vegetative cells produce spores and spores produce vegetative cells.
- Both spores and vegetative cells are important structures in life cycles of certain organisms.
What is the Difference Between Spore and Vegetative Cell?
Spore vs Vegetative Cell |
|
| Spore is a small dormant structure produced under unfavorable environmental conditions as a mechanism of survival by certain organisms. | Vegetative cell is a normal growing cell that is functional. |
| Status | |
| Spore is inactive. | Vegetative cell is active. |
| Metabolically Active or Not | |
| Spores are not metabolically active and growing. | Vegetative cells are metabolically active and growing. |
| Resistivity | |
| Spores are resistant to heat, radiation, chemicals, etc. | Vegetative cells are not resistant to heat, radiation, chemicals, etc. |
| Survival | |
| Spores can survive without nutrients. | Vegetative cells cannot survive without nutrients. |
| Water Content | |
| Water content is low in spores. | Water content is high in vegetative cells. |
| Calcium Content | |
| Spores have high calcium content. | Vegetative cell has low calcium content. |
| Lifetime | |
| Spores can remain in the environment for a long period even for years. | Vegetative cell has a relatively lesser lifetime. |
Summary – Spore vs Vegetative Cell
Spores and vegetative cells are two structures present in certain organisms’ life cycles. Vegetative cell is a normal growing cell. It is also metabolically active and functioning. However, it is not resistant to the harsh environmental conditions. Vegetative cells produce spores when they are not able to tolerate harsh environmental conditions as a survival strategy. Spores are dormant structures, and they can resist heat, radiation, chemicals, etc. This is the difference between spores and vegetative cell.
Reference:
1.“Difference between Vegetative Cell and Spore Cell.” PHARMACEUTICAL MICROBIOLOGY, 27 Dec. 2016. Available here
2.“Easy Biology Class.” Easybiologyclass. Available here
Image Courtesy:
1.’OSC Microbio 02 04 Endospores’By CNX OpenStax (CC BY 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2.’Simple diagram of bacterium (en)’By domdomegg – Own work (CC BY 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia