topic 8: diversity of life--fungi

what are fungi?

they are heterotrophs that get their nutrients via absorption

what are some common examples of fungi?

mushrooms, bracket fungi, fuzzy mold, etc

what are some examples of how we see fungi get their absorption?

• fungi growing on bread and then they secrete enzymes to break the starch into monomers

• enzymes that digest cellulose and lignin to decompose plants

what are hyphae (hypha)?

these are thread-like filaments that are used for fungal feeding. they branch as they grow, this mass of hyphae is referred to as mycelium

• essentially chains of cells that are separated by porous walls → ribosomes, mitochondria and nuclei are still able to flow from cell to cell

  • some fungi lack the porous wall tho

are mycelia thick?

no, they’re thin! they’re always growing and spreading so that the fungus can get more nutrients

• grow long and fast for a greater surface area to absorb

what are the “umbrella” structures that we see on mushrooms?

these are that are made of tightly packed hyphae

• this mushroom umbrella is basically a bud that will rapidly absorb water → this creates hydraulic pressure and makes mushroom pop

• inside the bud are spores that will be dispersed via air currents

hyphae are surrounded by what cell wall?

chitin

what is chitin made of?

it is a polysaccharide that contains strong nitrogen

what is mycorrhiza?

symbiosis between fungi and plant roots

• some cases, hyphae can wrap around plant root without penetrating into it

how the plant benefits: allows for the absorption of phosphorus and other essential minerals

how fungus benefits: sugars made by plant are used as its nutrients

TRUE OR FALSE: fungi can reproduce via both sexual and asexual reproduction

TRUE! and then their spores get transported via wind or water. these spores then germinate into a new fungus

how do fungi reproduce asexually?

haploid mycelia (mass of hyphae) produce spores

how do fungi reproduce sexually?

1. hyphae