<Li> The cortex may osmotically remove water from the interior of the endospore and the dehydration that results is thought to be very important in the endospore's resistance to heat and radiation . </Li> <Li> Finally, DNA repair enzymes contained within the endospore are able to repair damaged DNA during germination . </Li> <P> Reactivation of the endospore occurs when conditions are more favourable and involves activation, germination, and outgrowth . Even if an endospore is located in plentiful nutrients, it may fail to germinate unless activation has taken place . This may be triggered by heating the endospore . Germination involves the dormant endospore starting metabolic activity and thus breaking hibernation . It is commonly characterised by rupture or absorption of the spore coat, swelling of the endospore, an increase in metabolic activity, and loss of resistance to environmental stress . </P> <P> Outgrowth follows germination and involves the core of the endospore manufacturing new chemical components and exiting the old spore coat to develop into a fully functional vegetative bacterial cell, which can divide to produce more cells . </P>

The dna inside an endospore is protected by layers of membrane peptidoglycan and proteins