Chapter 32: Fungal Biology Concepts

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key concepts and phyla of the Kingdom Fungi as listed in Chapter 32.

Ascomycete

A member of the fungal phylum Ascomycota, commonly known as sac fungi due to the production of spores in sac-like structures called asci.

Basidiomycete

A member of the fungal phylum Basidiomycota, commonly known as club fungi due to the production of spores on club-like structures called basidia.

Chitin

A strong, flexible polysaccharide that forms the structural component of fungal cell walls.

Chytrid

A member of the fungal phylum Chytridiomycota; these are often aquatic and are unique among fungi for having flagellated spores called zoospores.

Dikarya

A large subkingdom of fungi that includes the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, characterized by having a dikaryotic stage in their life cycle.

Dikaryotic (n + n)

A fungal life cycle stage in which each cell has two separate haploid nuclei, one from each parent, denoted as $n + n$.

Ectomycorrhiza (plural, ectomycorrhizae)

A symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant root where the fungal hyphae form a sheath over the root surface and grow into the extracellular spaces of the root cortex.

Endomycorrhiza (plural, endomycorrhizae)

Also known as arbuscular mycorrhizae, these fungi extend their hyphae through the root cell wall and into the tubes formed by invagination of the root cell plasma membrane.

Endophyte

A fungus that lives inside plants or other organisms without causing apparent disease or harm to the host.

Fruiting body

The multicellular, visible reproductive structure of a fungus, such as a mushroom, which is responsible for the production and dispersal of spores.

Fungus (plural, fungi)

A group of eukaryotic, heterotrophic organisms that absorb nutrients from their environment and typically possess cell walls made of chitin.

Glomeromycete

A member of the fungal phylum Glomeromycota, characterized by its ability to form arbuscular mycorrhizae with the roots of plants.

Heterokaryotic

A fungal life cycle stage in which the mycelium contains two or more genetically different haploid nuclei per cell.

Hypha (plural, hyphae)

One of the long, branching, thread-like filaments that make up the mycelium of a fungus.

Karyogamy

The stage in the fungal sexual life cycle where the haploid nuclei from two parent cells fuse to form a diploid nucleus.

Lichen

A symbiotic association between a fungus and a photosynthetic partner, typically a green alga or a cyanobacterium.

Mating type

A molecular mechanism that determines compatibility for sexual reproduction in fungi, identifying individuals as belonging to different 'sexes' or groups.

Mycelium (plural, mycelia)

The densely branched network of hyphae that forms the vegetative body of a fungus.

Plasmogamy

The fusion of the cytoplasm from two parent mycelia, bringing the two haploid nuclei into the same cell without immediate nuclear fusion.

Parasexual

A cycle of reproduction that achieves genetic recombination through the loss of chromosomes rather than through the standard processes of meiosis.

Septum (plural, septa)

A cross-wall that divides a fungal hypha into distinct cells; it usually contains pores that allow the flow of cytoplasm and organelles.

Yeast

A general term for single-celled fungi that inhabit moist environments and typically reproduce asexually by budding or cell division.

Zygomycete

A member of the fungal phylum Zygomycota, characterized by the formation of a thick-walled, resistant structure called a zygosporangium during sexual reproduction.