Statospore

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A dormant, silica-walled resting cell produced by certain freshwater golden algae to survive unfavorable conditions
2. A hardened, silica-coated resting body formed by some chrysophyte algae that lets them endure harsh periods
3. The durable silicified dormant cyst that certain golden-brown freshwater algae form and later germinate from

Etymology: Freshwater golden algae can seal their living contents inside a silica-walled capsule when conditions turn hostile. The name for that capsule is built from two Greek elements. "Statos" comes from the Greek verb "histanai," meaning "to cause to stand" or "to set up," and "spore" comes from "spora," meaning "seed," from a root meaning "to sow." Together they describe a seed that stays put. The statospore is a dormant resting cell, protected by its silica wall until conditions improve. The name is a technical coinage from modern scientific writing, assembled from classical roots, so the ancient Greeks had no word for this organism or its resting stage.