Vegetative cellThe growing, dividing form of the bacterium. One endospore can form inside it.
Central endosporeAn endospore that sits in the middle of the cell.
Subterminal endosporeAn endospore that sits between the middle and one end.
Terminal endosporeAn endospore at one end of its cell. A large one makes the end bulge.
Free sporeA spore set free after the cell round it has broken down. It can lie dormant for ages.
Spore layers 7
Spore coatTough layers of protein round the spore. The coat keeps out many harmful chemicals.
CortexA thick layer of peptidoglycan under the coat. It lies between the two membranes of the spore.
CoreThe center of the spore, with very little water in it. It holds the DNA and the ribosomes.
DNAThe DNA of the bacterium, packed tightly in the core. Small proteins bind to it and shield it.
ExosporiumA thin, loose outer covering. Only some kinds of spore have one.
Germ cell wallA thin wall just under the cortex. It becomes the cell wall when the spore grows into a cell again.
Inner membraneThe membrane that wraps the core. It lies just inside the germ cell wall.
How this list was compiled: Every name was checked on 2026-10-03 and kept only where two independent sources use it. (1) Wikipedia, text only: Endospore, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endospore . (2) H. Ahern, Microbiology: A Laboratory Experience, the chapter on differential staining, an open college laboratory textbook, https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/suny-microbiology-lab/chapter/differential-staining-techniques/ . (3) P. Beskrovnaya and others, Structural, Metabolic and Evolutionary Comparison of Bacterial Endospore and Exospore Formation, Frontiers in Microbiology 12 (2021), an open-access review read through Europe PMC, https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC7985256 . (4) G. Kaiser, Microbiology, section 2.4E, Endospores, an open community college textbook, https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Microbiology/Microbiology_(Kaiser)/Unit_1%3A_Introduction_to_Microbiology_and_Prokaryotic_Cell_Anatomy/2%3A_The_Prokaryotic_Cell_-_Bacteria/2.4%3A_Cellular_Components_within_the_Cytoplasm/2.4E%3A_Endospores . (5) E. O. Jordan, A Text-book of General Bacteriology (1918), public domain, https://archive.org/details/atextbookgenera05jordgoog . (6) H. Panosyan and others, Anoxybacillus karvacharensis sp. nov., International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 71 (2021), open access, read through Europe PMC, https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC8604165 . Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-03 from plain geometry; nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
This endospore diagram has two views. In the cell shows rod-shaped bacteria with the spore in the central, subterminal and terminal positions, and a free spore. Spore layers shows one endospore cut open.
Read the full guide
Where the spore sits
An endospore forms inside a vegetative cell, one spore to a cell. A central endospore sits in the middle, a terminal endospore at one end and a subterminal endospore between the two. When the cell round it breaks down, the spore is set free.
The layers
The spore coat is the tough layer of protein, with a looser exosporium outside it on some spores. Under the coat lie the thick cortex, the thin germ cell wall and the inner membrane. The core in the middle holds the DNA.
A terminal endospore that is wider than the cell makes its end bulge, like the head of a drumstick.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between a vegetative cell and an endospore?
A vegetative cell is the growing, dividing form of a bacterium. An endospore is a dormant, tough form that some bacteria make inside the cell, usually when nutrients run short. It becomes a vegetative cell again when conditions improve.
Where can an endospore sit in the cell?
In the middle (central), at one end (terminal), or between the two (subterminal). The position differs from one kind of bacterium to another, so it helps to tell them apart.
What are the layers of an endospore?
From the outside in: the exosporium, which only some spores have, the spore coat, the cortex, the germ cell wall, the inner membrane and the core, which holds the DNA.
Is this the answer to "label the vegetative cell and the endospore for its location within the cell"?
No. This is the site's own drawing, not the answer key to any exercise. It shows what such an exercise is about: a vegetative cell, and an endospore in the central, subterminal and terminal positions.