The Diversity of Life: The Fungi & the Protists

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts related to fungi and protists based on the lecture notes.

Eukaryotes

Organisms with complex cells containing a nucleus and organelles.

Fungi

Eukaryotic organisms that are usually filamentous, non-motile, with tough cell walls, reproduce asexually and sexually, and form spores.

Protists

A diverse collection of eukaryotic microorganisms, mostly unicellular, that can be motile and may exhibit complex life cycles.

Hyphae

Thread-like structures that make up the mycelium of fungi, defined by their ability to form a macroscopic mass.

Chitin

A tough polysaccharide that makes up the cell walls of fungi.

Symbiotic nutrition

A type of fungal nutrition where two organisms benefit from each other's presence.

Saprophytic

Fungi that obtain nutrients by digesting dead organisms.

Parasitic

Fungi that obtain nutrients from living organisms, potentially harming them.

Acellular Slime Molds

Organisms that exist as a plasmodium, a multinucleated, cytoplasmic mass without individual cell membranes.

Plasmodium

A genus of protists that causes malaria, requiring multiple hosts for its complex life cycle.

Zoospore

A motile spore that is typically flagellated; seen in some fungi and protists as a means of reproduction.

Ciliates

Protozoans that move by using hair-like structures called cilia.

Diatoms

A major group of protists recognized for their unique silica cell walls.

Merozoite

The vegetative form of Plasmodium that infects red blood cells.

Schizont

A stage in the life cycle of Plasmodium where it replicates within a host red blood cell.

Cyst

A dormant form of a protist or fungal cell that can survive in harsh conditions.

Fairy Rings

A circular pattern of mushroom growth indicating the edge of an underground fungal mycelium.

Basidiomycetes

A group of fungi that reproduce sexually by forming spores in specialized structures called basidia.

Mycelium

A network of hyphae that forms the main body of a fungus.

Zygospore

A diploid stage in the life cycle of certain fungi that forms after zygote fusion.

Endoplasmic reticulum

An organelle involved in the synthesis and transport of proteins and lipids within eukaryotic cells.

Epidemiology of malaria

The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states, particularly concerning malaria caused by Plasmodium species.

Giardia intestinalis

A protozoan parasite that causes giardiasis, characterized by cysts and trophozoites.

Excystment

The process of a cyst breaking open and releasing its corresponding protozoan or fungus.