Mycology Class Notes

Mycology

The study of fungi.

Bacteria

Kingdom of Monera; unicellular, prokaryotic organisms.

Fungi

Most are multicellular but also unicellular; eukaryotes that are heterotrophic and saprophytic, storing carbohydrates in glycogen.

Plants

Multicellular eukaryotes that perform photosynthesis; autotrophic and make their own food using starch and fructose.

Animals

Multicellular eukaryotes that are heterotrophs, storing energy as glycogen, with membranes made of a phospholipid bilayer.

Prokaryotic

Organisms characterized by the lack of a nucleus.

Eukaryotes

Organisms whose cells have a membrane-bound nucleus, including all animals, plants, fungi, seaweeds, and many unicellular organisms.

Saprophytic

Obtaining food by absorbing dissolved organic material from the breakdown and decay of organic matter.

Heterotrophic

An organism that cannot produce its own food, instead obtaining nutrition from other organic carbon sources.

Carbohydrate

Glycogen, which serves as a storage form of energy in certain organisms.

Chitin

A long-chain polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, used in the cell walls of fungi.

Proteoglycans

Structures used by bacteria to attach to and invade host cells, evading host defense mechanisms.

Fimbriae

Long filamentous protein structures located on the surface of bacterial cells.

Chloroplasts

Organelles in plant and algae cells that convert light energy into chemical energy, responsible for photosynthesis.

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down dead organic material.

Penicillin

A group of antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections.

Fungi Primary Uses

Breaking down dead things, medicinal uses like penicillin, food production, baking/brewing, and cheese making.

What fungi need to grow?

Food source, appropriate temperature, moisture, and pH.

Ideal temperature for fungi growth

98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, which is human body temperature.