A zoospore is a motile

Motility

Motility is a biological term which refers to the ability to move spontaneously and actively, consuming energy in the process. Most animals are motile but the term applies to single-celled and simple multicellular organisms, as well as to some mechanisms of fluid flow in multicellular organs, in...

 asexual spore

Spore

In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many bacteria, plants, algae, fungi and some protozoa. According to scientist Dr...

 that uses a flagellum

Flagellum

A flagellum is a tail-like projection that protrudes from the cell body of certain prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, and plays the dual role of locomotion and sense organ, being sensitive to chemicals and temperatures outside the cell. There are some notable differences between prokaryotic and...

 for locomotion

Motion (physics)

In physics, motion is a change in position of an object with respect to time. Change in action is the result of an unbalanced force. Motion is typically described in terms of velocity, acceleration, displacement and time . An object's velocity cannot change unless it is acted upon by a force, as...

. Also called a swarm spore, these spores are created by some algae

Algae

Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...

, bacteria

Bacteria

Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...

 and fungi to propagate themselves.

Flagella

There are two types of flagellated zoospores, tinsel or "decorated", and whiplash.

Tinsellated flagella have lateral filament

Protein filament

In biology, a filament is a "long chain of proteins, such as those found in hair, muscle, or in flagella". They are often bundled together for strength and rigidity. Some cellular examples include:*Actin filaments*Microtubules*Intermediate filaments...

s perpendicular to the main axis which allow for more surface area, and disturbance of the medium, giving it the property of a rudder

Rudder

A rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft or other conveyance that moves through a medium . On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane...

, that is, the purpose of being used for steering.

• Whiplash flagella are straight, to power the zoospore through its medium. There is also the 'default' zoospore, which only has the propelling, 'whiplash' flagella.

• Both tinsel and whiplash flagella beat in a sinusoidal wave pattern, but when both are present, the tinsel will beat in the opposite direction of the whiplash, to give 2 axes of control of motility
  Motility
  Motility is a biological term which refers to the ability to move spontaneously and actively, consuming energy in the process. Most animals are motile but the term applies to single-celled and simple multicellular organisms, as well as to some mechanisms of fluid flow in multicellular organs, in...
  
  .

• There can be many combinations for location of the flagella, such as posterior tinsel; posterior whiplash, anterior tinsel; and anterior whiplash.

Oomycetes and heterokont

Heterokont

The heterokonts or stramenopiles are a major line of eukaryotes currently containing more than 100,000 known species. Most are algae, ranging from the giant multicellular kelp to the unicellular diatoms, which are a primary component of plankton...

 algae produce distinct bi-flagellated zoospores:

The phyla Chytridiomycota

Chytridiomycota

Chytridiomycota is a division of the Fungi kingdom. The name is derived from the Greek chytridion, meaning "little pot", describing the structure containing unreleased spores. In older classifications, chytrids were placed in the Class Phycomycetes under the subdivision Myxomycophyta of the...

(Kingdom Fungi), Oomycota (Kingdom Chromista

Chromista

The Chromista are a eukaryotic supergroup, probably polyphyletic, which may be treated as a separate kingdom or included among the Protista. They include all algae whose chloroplasts contain chlorophylls a and c, as well as various colorless forms that are closely related to them...

), and Hyphochytridiomycota

Hyphochytridiomycota

Hyphochytridiomycetes is a class of fungus-like organisms , within the Kingdom Chromalveolata.-Characteristics:They are distinguished by an anterior tinsel flagellum on their zoospores....

 within (Kingdom Chromista

Chromista

The Chromista are a eukaryotic supergroup, probably polyphyletic, which may be treated as a separate kingdom or included among the Protista. They include all algae whose chloroplasts contain chlorophylls a and c, as well as various colorless forms that are closely related to them...

), produce zoospores with flagella in the same order as described above (e.g. Hyphochytridiomycota produces anterior whiplash and none else). These phyla number 1000+, 580 and 16 species respectively.

Zoosporangium

A zoosporangium is the sexual structure in which the zoospores develop in a plant, fungi, or protists (such as the oomycota)

See also

• Gametangium
• Flagellum
  Flagellum
  A flagellum is a tail-like projection that protrudes from the cell body of certain prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, and plays the dual role of locomotion and sense organ, being sensitive to chemicals and temperatures outside the cell. There are some notable differences between prokaryotic and...
  
  
• Fern
  Fern
  A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
  
  
• Angiosperm
• Chytridiomycota
  Chytridiomycota
  Chytridiomycota is a division of the Fungi kingdom. The name is derived from the Greek chytridion, meaning "little pot", describing the structure containing unreleased spores. In older classifications, chytrids were placed in the Class Phycomycetes under the subdivision Myxomycophyta of the...