Fungi, Microbiomes, and Plant Evolution Overview

Opisthokonta

Clade including animals and fungi.

Bryophytes

Non-vascular plants, primarily mosses.

Xylem

Vascular tissue transporting water.

Phloem

Vascular tissue transporting nutrients.

Gymnosperms

Non-flowering seed plants like conifers.

Angiosperms

Flowering plants that produce fruits.

Mycorrhizae

Fungi forming mutualistic relationships with plant roots.

Chitin

Fungal cell wall component, unlike cellulose.

Hyphae

Thread-like structures making up fungal mycelium.

Mycelium

Mass of hyphae forming the fungal body.

Aseptate Hyphae

Hyphae without cross walls, coenocytic.

Septate Hyphae

Hyphae with septa dividing cells.

Conidia

Asexual spores produced at hyphae tips.

Imperfect Fungi

Fungi reproducing only asexually, like molds.

Zygotes

Fertilized cell resulting from gamete union.

Alternation of Generations

Life cycle involving both haploid and diploid stages.

Cryptomycota

Earliest branching fungi, single-celled.

Chytrids

Fungi with flagellated reproductive cells.

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

Fungus linked to declining frog populations.

Ascomycetes

Fungi producing sac-like asci, decomposers.

Basidiomycota

Club-shaped mushrooms, important decomposers.

Lichens

Symbiotic associations of fungi and algae.

Microbiomes

Assemblages of microbes in a specific environment.

Meta-transcriptome

Collection of all mRNA in a sample.

Meta-proteome

All proteins produced by a microbiome.

Meta-metabolome

Information on molecules produced by metabolism.

Cyanobacteria

Bacteria that produce oxygen and toxins in water.

Microcystis

Bacteria-dominated water microbiome forming toxic colonies.

Biofilms

Microbial communities that provide vitamins and habitats.

Endomycorrhizae

Fungi penetrating root cell walls for nutrient exchange.

Ectomycorrhizae

Fungi coating roots without penetrating cell membranes.

Holobiont

Combination of host organism and its microbiome.

Hologenome

Combined genomes of host and associated microbiomes.

Plaque

Biofilm on teeth contributing to oral health.

Fecal Transplants

Transfer of gut microbes from one person to another.

Probiotic Treatment

Introduction of beneficial microbes into a host.

Domain Eukaria

Includes kingdoms Protist, Fungi, Animalia, and Plantae.

Monocots

Plants with one seed leaf and parallel veins.

Dicots

Plants with two seed leaves and net-like veins.

Stomata

Pores for gas exchange in plant leaves.

Lignin

Chemical that strengthens plant cell walls.

Apical Meristems

Regions of active cell division in plants.

Cohesion Tension Theory

Explains water movement in xylem via cohesion.

Pressure Flow Theory

Describes sugar movement from sources to sinks.