Microbial cyst

A microbial cyst is a dormant, often stress-resistant stage in which a microorganism is enclosed by a protective wall or membrane. Encystment helps it survive unfavorable conditions and may aid dispersal.

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Encystment: The process by which a microorganism forms a protective cyst around itself. This process creates the dormant, enclosed state that defines a microbial cyst.
Bacterial endospore: A highly resistant dormant structure formed inside certain bacteria, especially species of Bacillus and Clostridium. Endospores are often tougher than cysts and arise through a distinct developmental process.
Giardia cyst: The environmentally resistant stage of Giardia that can infect a host when ingested. It illustrates how a protozoan cyst enables transmission through contaminated water.
Vegetative cell: An actively growing and metabolizing microbial cell, rather than a dormant survival stage. It is the active state that many microorganisms leave during encystment and regain after excystment.
Excystment: The process by which a microorganism leaves its cyst and resumes active growth or movement. It reverses encystment when conditions again support activity.
Microbial cell: The basic living unit of a microorganism, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and protists. A cyst is a specialized state of a microbial cell, not a separate organism.
Entamoeba histolytica cyst: The transmissible cyst stage of the parasite Entamoeba histolytica. Its survival outside the host helps explain fecal–oral spread of amoebiasis.
Bacterial sporulation: The developmental process by which certain bacteria form resistant endospores. It produces a different survival structure with a more elaborate formation pathway than typical encystment.
Cyst wall: A protective outer layer formed around a microorganism during encystment. Its composition and structure help determine which stresses a cyst can withstand.
Cell wall: A structural layer outside a cell membrane that supports and protects many cells. Cyst walls are specialized protective coverings, distinct from ordinary cell walls.