Aspergillus niger conidia are characterized by exogenous dormancy: the first stage of their germination is accomplished in twice distilled water. However, germ tube formation requires the availability of carbon and nitrogen sources. Exogenous dormancy in A. niger conidia exhibits the following peculiar features: (i) nitrogen-containing substances are active stimulators of germination; (ii) temperature-dependent changes in the lipid bilayer and in the neutral lipid composition of conidia are virtually identical to those occurring in growing mycelium under temperature stress; and (iii) the spore viability threshold does not exceed 45 degrees C; i.e., the spores are more heat-resistant than the mycelium, but they are less heat-resistant than the spores that are in the state of endogenous dormancy. According to the current classification of the types of cell metabolism arrest, the exogenous dormancy of A. niger conidia resembles the pattern of metabolism characteristic of vegetative cells during the idiophase.