credit risk. Probability of loss from a debtor's default. In banking, credit risk is a major factor in determination of interest rate on a loan: longer the term of loan, usually higher the interest rate. Also called credit exposure.
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. An endospore is a dormant, tough, non-reproductive structure produced by a small number of bacteria from the Firmicute family. The primary function of most endospores is to ensure the survival of a bacterium through periods of environmental stress. They are therefore resistant to ultraviolet and gamma radiation, desiccation, lysozyme, temperature, starvation, and chemical disinfectants.
Endospores are formed by vegetative bacterial cells in a process called sporillation. Only one spore can be formed per bacterial cell, which can be formed in about eight hours and remain dormant for many years until the right environment triggers the cell to become active again. Some Bacteria make exospores or cysts instead of endospores but are not as resistant to harsh conditions. To watch step by step endospore formation please use following link: http://www.microbelibrary.org/images/Gauthier/Endopore_formation.htm. Endospores are green, vegetative (non endospore bacteria) cells are red.