1. A small, rounded, asexual reproductive cell produced by certain algae and lichens, capable of developing into a new organism.
Usage: biology; plural: gonidia
2. In lichens, a photosynthetic cell or cluster of algal cells embedded in the fungal tissue.
Usage: mycology; specialized

Examples

• The lichen reproduces through gonidia, which disperse in the wind.
• Gonidia allow certain algae to spread without sexual reproduction.
• Under the microscope, the gonidia appeared as small green spheres within the lichen tissue.
• The fungal partner in a lichen protects the gonidia from desiccation.
• Gonidia are an efficient means of asexual propagation in aquatic environments.