Biology II Quiz: Fungus part II

Fungus

Largest organism in the world, found everywhere in soil, water, and air.

Hyphae

Strands of cells that make up the body of fungi.

Mycelium

Tangled mass of hyphae used to absorb food.

Fruiting body

Above-ground reproductive structure that releases spores.

Phylum Chytridiomycota

Smallest and simplest group of fungi, mainly aquatic, with flagellated spores.

Phylum Ascomycota

Sac fungi, including yeasts and molds, that produce spores in a sac called ascus.

Phylum Zygomycota

Bread molds that decompose dead matter and include mutualistic relationships with plant roots.

Phylum Basidiomycota

Club fungi, characterized by a club-shaped fruiting body, including mushrooms and shelf fungi.

Chitin

Tough polysaccharide found in the cell walls of fungi; different from cellulose in plant cell walls.

Yeasts

Single-celled fungi that reproduce asexually and are used in baking and in molecular biology.

Molds

Multicellular fungi that form hyphae and reproduce through spores.

True fungi

A general term for multitudes of fungi that differ from plants in structure and nutrition.

Photosynthesis

Process used by plants to convert light energy into chemical energy; fungi do not perform photosynthesis.

Mutualistic relationship

A relationship between fungi and plant roots that helps plants fix nitrogen.

Spores

Reproductive cells released by fungi; can develop into new organisms.

Asexual reproduction

Form of reproduction in single-celled fungi through binary fission or budding.

Sexual reproduction

Involves diploid yeasts undergoing meiosis to produce haploid spores. This process occurs when environmental conditions are unfavorable, allowing for genetic variation and adaptation. The haploid spores can then germinate to form new organisms, contributing to the life cycle of fungi.

Ascus

Sac-like structure in ascomycota that contains 4 haploid nuclei.

Binary fission

A form of asexual reproduction where a single organism splits into two.

Budding

A form of asexual reproduction in yeast where a new organism grows out from the parent.

Decomposers

Organisms that break down dead or decaying matter and recycle nutrients back into the environment.

Flagella

Whip-like structures that aid in locomotion; found on the spores of chytridiomycota.

Puffballs

A type of basidiomycota that releases spores when mature.

Rusts and smuts

Types of basidiomycota that cause diseases in plants.

Mycorrhizae

Fungi that form a mutualistic association with plant roots, aiding in nutrient absorption.

Genetic similarity

Yeasts contain many genes similar to those in humans, highlighting their importance in molecular biology.

Cell wall composition

Fungi have cells walls made of chitin, while plants have cell walls made of cellulose.

Aquatic fungi

Fungi that primarily live in water, often within the chytridiomycota phylum.

Fungal nutrition

Fungi absorb food from their environment, contrasting with plants that produce their own food.

Nutrient absorption

The process by which mycelia release enzymes to break down food and absorb nutrients.

Diploid yeast

Yeast cells with two sets of chromosomes that can undergo meiosis to produce spores.