Kingdom Fungi

Main characteristics of Fungi

Mostly multicellular
Heterotrophic
mostly terrestrial
Mostly decomposers
cell wall made from chitin
reproduce sexually using spores and asexually
lack true roots, stems and leaves
some are edible while others are poisonous

Hyphae

elongated cells that form a branching filamentous structure

Septate hypha

hypha separated by cell walls

Nonseptate hypha

hyphae not divided into individual cells

Mycelium

multiple hyphae forming a branching network of filaments

Ascomycota

sexual spores formed in sac-like "ascus"
important for fermentation and food
very diverse

Basidiomycota

produces mushroom-cap
mostly decomposers
includes puffballs, and bracket fungi

Zygomycota

mostly soil fungi
includes bread and fruit moulds
multinucleate hyphae
non-septate

Chytridiomycota

mostly decomposers
some unicellular some multicellular
some have swimming spores

Glomeromycota

all form symbiotic relationships with plant roots

Extracellular Digestion

Excretion of digestive enzymes
digestive enzymes degrade substances
digested good absorbed by hyphae

Lichen

Partnership between fungus and cyanobacteria or green algae

Mycorrhizae

partnership between fungus and plant roots

Reproduction of fungi

using spores

Spores

adaptation to life on land
new species will disperse to new locations
contains a reproductive cell that forms
non-motile
dispersed by wind

sexual reproduction

used when environmental conditions are poor
some fungi show dimorphism which is the ability of certain fungi to switch between unicellular yeast and multicellular filamentous growth forms in response to changing environmental cues.

Fragmentation

part of the mycelium becomes separated and begins a life on its own

Budding

a small cell forms and gets pinched off as it grows to full size

asexual spores

production of spores by a single mycelium

Spores are made of:

Dehydrated cytoplasm
protective coar
haploid cell
wind, animals, water and insects spread spores