Endospore

An endospore is a generalized term for a type of spore that is produced within an organism (usually a bacterium). The primary function of most endospores is to ensure the survival of a colony through periods of environmental stress.

Endospores are drought, temperature, and starvation tolerent. They are protected by a hardened shell of protein and carbohydrates and produced by a form of binary fission[?] in bacteria.