Akinete

An akinete is an enveloped, thick-walled, non-motile, dormant cell formed by filamentous, heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria under the order Nostocales and Stigonematales.

[1] They also accumulate and store various essential material, both of which allows the akinete to serve as a survival structure for up to many years.

[1] Development usually occurs during stationary phase and is triggered by unfavorable conditions such as insufficient light or nutrients, temperature, and saline levels in the environment.

[1][4] Once conditions become more favorable for growth, the akinete can then germinate back into a vegetative cell.

[6] Despite being a resting cell, it is still capable of some metabolic activities such as photosynthesis, protein synthesis, and carbon fixation, albeit at significantly lower levels.