Fungal Diversity

Fungal Traits Shared with Plants

both can do sexual and asexual reproduction

Fungal Traits Shared with Animals

both have membrane bound organelles

Unique Traits of Fungi

has cell walls made out of chitin

classify fungi, plants, and animals into their supergroups within Domain Eukarya

• Fungi:

  • Supergroup: Opisthokonta

• Plants:

  • Supergroup: Archaeplastida

• Animals:

  • Supergroup: Opisthokonta

Protist Closest to Fungi

Choanoflagellates.

Protist Closest to Plants

Charophytes (a type of green algae)

Protist Closest to Animals

Choanoflagellates

Advantages of Multicellularity

Greater specialization, complexity of functions, and resilience to environmental changes.

Disadvantages of Multicellularity

greater resource use, slower growth and reproduction, and slower reaction to stimuli

Common Fungal Lifestyles

Decomposers, parasites, and mutualists.

Identify examples of the two common body structures of fungi from a description or image.

• Hyphae:

  • Description: Thread-like filaments.

  • Example: Found in mushrooms and molds.

• Mycelium:

  • Description: Network of hyphae.

  • Example: Seen in soil or decaying organic matter, forming the vegetative body of fungi.

Distinguish between examples of asexual and sexual reproduction among fungi when described.

Asexual Reproduction in Fungi:

• Description: Production of spores without gamete fusion.

• Example: Molds (e.g., Penicillium) produce conidia or sporangia. Yeasts reproduce by budding.

Sexual Reproduction in Fungi:

• Description: Fusion of haploid gametes to form a diploid zygote.

• Example: Mushrooms produce basidiospores, and Ascomycetes produce ascospores in an

Classify an unknown fungus as a chytrid, ascomycete, or basidiomycete from an image or description.

• Chytrid:

  • Characteristics: Aquatic fungi with motile spores (zoospores).

  • Example: Batrachochytrium (causes chytridiomycosis in amphibians).

• Ascomycete:

  • Characteristics: Produces ascus (sac-like structure) containing ascospores.

  • Example: Saccharomyces (yeast), Penicillium (mold).

• Basidiomycete:

  • Characteristics: Produces basidium (club-shaped structure) containing basidiospores.

  • Example: Agaricus (mushrooms), Puccinia (rusts).

Ecosystem Services Provided by Fungi

Nutrient cycling, decomposition, and forming symbiotic relationships with plants (mycorrhizae).

Recreate the generalized life cycle of a fungus, label the stages, and be able to:

o state the ploidy (i.e., number of gene copies) of cells in each stage

o state the number of nuclei within cells in each stage

o label the sexual and asexual reproduction cycles

o apply the stages to descriptions of fungal organisms

• Plasmogamy (Fusion of Cytoplasm):

  • Ploidy: Haploid (n).

  • Nuclei: Two haploid nuclei from different individuals fuse cytoplasm but not nuclei.

  • Type: Sexual reproduction begins.

• Heterokaryotic Stage:

  • Ploidy: Haploid (n), two different haploid nuclei (n+n).

  • Nuclei: Two separate haploid nuclei per cell.

  • Type: Sexual cycle continues.

• Karyogamy (Fusion of Nuclei):

  • Ploidy: Diploid (2n).

  • Nuclei: One diploid nucleus forms after fusion.

  • Type: Sexual reproduction, fertilization occurs.

• Meiosis (Reduction Division):

  • Ploidy: Haploid (n).

  • Nuclei: Four haploid nuclei formed.

  • Type: Sexual cycle, produces spores.

• Spore Germination:

  • Ploidy: Haploid (n).

  • Nuclei: Haploid nuclei within new spores.

  • Type: Asexual cycle can start again.

• Asexual Reproduction (e.g., Conidia/Spore Production):

  • Ploidy: Haploid (n).

  • Nuclei: Haploid nuclei.

  • Type: Asexual cycle, forms spores via mitosis.

Distinguish between descriptions of fungal organisms that are heterokaryotic, haploidy, diploidy, and triploidy

• Heterokaryotic:

  • Description: Two different haploid nuclei (n + n) in a single cell, before they fuse.

  • Example: Seen in sexual reproduction of many fungi (e.g., Basidiomycetes).

• Haploid (n):

  • Description: Single set of chromosomes in the nucleus.

  • Example: Spores and gametes in fungi.

• Diploid (2n):

  • Description: Two sets of chromosomes (one from each parent).

  • Example: Zygote or fusion product of two haploid cells during sexual reproduction.

• Triploid (3n):

  • Description: Three sets of chromosomes.

  • Example: Rare; seen in some hybrid species or specialized cases in fungi.

Distinguish between plasmogamy and karyogamy in a description and on the generalized fungal life cycle

• Plasmogamy:

  • Description: Fusion of cytoplasm from two haploid fungal cells.

  • In Life Cycle: Occurs first in sexual reproduction; results in a heterokaryotic stage with two separate haploid nuclei (n + n).

• Karyogamy:

  • Description: Fusion of the haploid nuclei from the fused cells, forming a diploid (2n) nucleus.

  • In Life Cycle: Follows plasmogamy; leads to zygote formation, and initiates meiosis to produce haploid spores.

Compare the generalized fungal life cycle to the generalized plant life cycle.

1. Fungal Life Cycle:

   • Main Stages:

     • Plasmogamy (fusion of cytoplasm, haploid n + n).

     • Heterokaryotic (two distinct haploid nuclei in one cell).

     • Karyogamy (fusion of nuclei, diploid 2n).

     • Meiosis (haploid spores).

     • Spore Germination (haploid, starts asexual reproduction).

   • Reproduction: Both sexual and asexual (via spores).

2. Plant Life Cycle:

   • Main Stages:

     • Sporophyte (diploid 2n, produces spores by meiosis).

     • Gametophyte (haploid n, produces gametes by mitosis).

     • Fertilization (fusion of gametes, forms a zygote, diploid 2n).

   • Reproduction: Alternation of generations (alternates between diploid sporophyte and haploid gametophyte).

Key Difference:

• Fungi: Sexual and asexual spores; no alternation of generations.

• Plants: Alternates between sporophyte and gametophyte generations.