mushrooms exam 1

What do all forest trees form symbiotic partnerships with?

All forest trees form symbiotic partnerships with fungi (or they couldn’t grow)

How do fungi reproduce?

Fungi reproduce by making spores

What grows from a spore, and what are many hyphae called?

From a spore grows a hypha; lots of hyphae are called a mycelium

What are hyphae, and what is their function?

Hyphae are tubular cells with stiff cell walls. Their job is to eat whatever they’re growing in

What is a mushroom made of, and what is its function?

A mushroom is made out of hyphae. It is the “fruit” of a much larger mycelium. Its function is to make and release spores.

What fungal structure is often called "nature's internet"?

Mycorrhizae: Fungi are nature’s internet?

What is yeast, and why is it considered a genetic workhorse?

Yeast is a fungus. Also, a genetic workhorse. We can genetically modify yeast by inserting genes from other organisms for opium or insulin production.

How do fungi compare to other microbes?

Fungi are microbes. They're quite different from other microbes like bacteria, archaea, viruses, protists, microscopic animals, and algae.

What type of organisms make up the vast majority of life on Earth, and when were they discovered?

The vast majority of organisms on earth are microbes, but they were among the last to be discovered.

What are the two main components of fungi?

Two main ingredients for fungi – hypha and spores

What is the function of hyphae?

Hypha – for eating; growing; making structures

What is the function of spores?

Spores – for reproducing and getting around

How is a fungus cell similar to a human cell, and what is a key difference?

A fungus cell is like one of your cells, which has a flexible cell membrane, except a fungal cell is also encased in a tubular cell wall.

Where do hyphae grow?

Hyphae grow at their tips.

What is the structure of hyphae, and what is their cell wall made of?

Hyphae are tubular. They have a crunchy cell wall made of chitin (think string of pearls).

What is chitin, and what is its function?

Chitin is a structural support, like cellulose. It is strong, hard to digest, and fungi make their cell walls out of it.

How do hyphae grow, and what shape do fungal colonies take?

Hyphae branch as they grow, so fungus colonies tend to be circular. They expand radially. The outer edge of the colony is the youngest and most active.

What type of mycelium grows up and reproduces?

Aerial mycelium is a hyphae that grows up and reproduces.

What type of mycelium grows down and eats?

Vegetative mycelium is a hyphae that grows down and eats.

How does a fungus eat?

They excrete their digestive enzymes onto their food and absorb the products of digestion.

How are fungi crucial nutrient cyclers?

They act as decayers, symbionts, and pathogens/parasites.

What is the most abundant thing in soil after plant roots?

After plant roots, fungi are the most abundant thing in soil.

What environmental factors can fungi sense?

Fungi can sense light, gravity, and openings via touch.

What is a rhizomorph?

root-like, traveling structure for some fungi.

What are the four characteristics of fungi?

Cells with a nucleus, chitin cell wall, simple morphology (hyphae), reproduces via spores.

Flagellum

part of early fungi used for swimming, but not common among modern fungi.

What is Prototaxites, and what does it resemble?

existed before land plants and dinosaurs, imagined to be super tall, and resembles a modern-day coral fungus.

What is a clamp connection?

found in modern mushroom hypha.

What are the major fungal phyla?

basidiomycota, ascomycota, glomeromycota, zygomycota, chytridiomycota.

What were older fungal classification systems based on?

Older classification systems were based on differences among spores and spore-making structures.

What are two problems with naming fungi?

Common names aren’t specific enough, and fungi look different at different points in their life cycle.

Linnaeus and binomial nomenclature

The plants are best distinguished from each other by their reproductive structures.

What is the acronym for taxonomic classification?

King Philip Came Over For Good Spaghetti.

What is the general structure of fungal names?

genus species authors of name.

What is primary metabolism in fungi?

processes that enable growth, development, and reproduction of fungi.

What is secondary metabolism in fungi?

all the extras, abilities that are not essential but can confer an advantage and increase fitness.

What are examples of fungal secondary metabolism?

pigments, odors, sensors, bioluminescence, toxins.

What is Aspergillus flavus, and why is it dangerous?

a fungus that can infect peanuts. Once inside, it can make a dangerous toxin.

What chemicals do fungi produce to help them survive?

Fungi make chemicals that help them explore, compete, communicate, and survive. These chemicals include mycotoxins, aromas, enzymes, and allergens.

What are some potent toxins produced by fungi?

Fungi make some of the most potent toxins on earth, such as penicillin, amatoxin, aflatoxin, ethanol.

What are VOCs, and how do fungi use them?

produced by fungi, disperse in the air.

What causes the musty smell of mold?

The musty smell of mold often comes from "mushroom alcohols," which affects memory and development.

What is the typical indoor fungal spore count?

100 to 20,000 spores/m³.

What was the fungal spore count in moldy homes?

3,000,000 spores/m³.