18. Mycology
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Mycology
The study of fungi.
Fungi
A kingdom of eukaryotic organisms that obtain nutrients by absorption.
Are fungi prokaryotic or eukaryotic?
Eukaryotic.
Why are fungi eukaryotic?
They possess membrane-bound organelles and a nucleus.
Are fungi more closely related to plants or animals?
Animals.
Why were fungi historically classified with plants?
They are sessile and often associated with soil and plants.
When were fungi recognised as their own kingdom?
1969.
How do fungi obtain nutrients?
They digest material externally and absorb the products.
Heterotroph
An organism that obtains nutrients from organic matter rather than producing its own food.
Why are fungi heterotrophic?
They cannot photosynthesise.
Hypha
A filamentous fungal cell.
Mycelium
A network of hyphae.
What is the main vegetative structure of most fungi?
The mycelium.
Why is mycelium important?
It is responsible for nutrient acquisition and growth.
Do all fungi grow as hyphae?
No, some exist as yeasts.
Yeast
A unicellular fungal growth form.
Dimorphic fungus
A fungus capable of switching between yeast and hyphal growth forms.
What controls fungal morphology?
Environmental conditions such as nutrients and temperature.
How do fungi reproduce?
By producing spores.
Spore
A reproductive structure capable of dispersal and growth.
Why are spores important?
They enable reproduction and dispersal.
Why are fungi ecologically important?
They decompose organic matter and recycle nutrients.
How do fungi contribute to soil formation?
They break down rocks and organic material.
Why are fungi important to plants?
Many form nutrient-exchange symbioses.
Approximately how old are fungi?
Nearly one billion years.
Why are fungi evolutionarily successful?
They have had extensive time to diversify and adapt.
How many major fungal phyla are discussed in this lecture?
Six.
Basidiomycota
The club fungi.
Ascomycota
The cup fungi.
Glomeromycota
The mycorrhizal fungi.
Zygomycota
The pin mould fungi.
Chytridiomycota
The basal aquatic fungi.
Cryptomycota
A highly reduced group of poorly characterised fungi.
Diagnostic feature of Basidiomycota
Basidia.
Diagnostic feature of Ascomycota
Asci.
Diagnostic feature of Glomeromycota
Large spores and arbuscules.
Diagnostic feature of Zygomycota
Zygospores.
Diagnostic feature of Chytridiomycota
Zoospores.
Diagnostic feature of Cryptomycota
Endoparasitism and reduced morphology.
Basidium
A club-shaped spore-producing cell of Basidiomycota.
Basidia are found where?
On gills, pores or spore-producing surfaces.
What occurs inside a basidium?
Karyogamy followed by meiosis.
What are basidiospores?
Sexual spores produced on basidia.
Sterigma
A small projection that supports a basidiospore.
Basidiocarp
The fruiting body of a basidiomycete fungus.
What is a mushroom?
The reproductive fruiting body of certain fungi.
Pileus
The cap of a mushroom.
Stipe
The stem of a mushroom.
Hymenium
The spore-producing tissue layer.
Lamellae
Gills found beneath the pileus.
Annulus
A ring-like structure on the mushroom stem.
Why are mushrooms important biologically?
They disperse enormous numbers of spores.
Dikaryotic mycelium
A fungal mycelium containing two genetically distinct nuclei per cell.
How is a dikaryotic mycelium formed?
By fusion of compatible mating types.
What is the anamorph stage?
The asexual reproductive stage.
What is the teleomorph stage?
The sexual reproductive stage.
Why can fungi persist for years without sexual reproduction?
They can reproduce asexually through mycelial growth.
Ascus
A spore-producing structure of Ascomycota.
Ascospore
A spore produced within an ascus.
Ascocarp
The fruiting body of an ascomycete fungus.
Apothecium
An open cup-shaped ascocarp.
Why are apothecia effective at spore dispersal?
Spores are directly exposed to air currents.
Perithecium
A flask-shaped ascocarp with a small opening.
Cleistothecium
A completely enclosed ascocarp.
Which ascocarp is completely enclosed?
Cleistothecium.
Why can cleistothecia produce many spores?
Thousands accumulate before release.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Baker's yeast.
How does Saccharomyces reproduce asexually?
By budding.
Budding
A form of asexual reproduction in which a new cell grows from the parent cell.
Why is Saccharomyces important?
It is widely used in research, baking and brewing.
Mycorrhiza
A symbiotic association between fungus and plant roots.
Why are mycorrhizae important?
They improve nutrient uptake by plants.
Arbuscule
A specialised fungal structure used for nutrient exchange with plant cells.
Which nutrients do mycorrhizal fungi commonly supply?
Phosphate and nitrogen.
What does the plant provide in return?
Carbohydrates.
Glomeromycota
A fungal phylum that forms mycorrhizal associations with plants.
Why are Glomeromycota important agriculturally?
They enhance plant growth and nutrient uptake.
Cordyceps
A genus of fungi that parasitises insects.
How does Cordyceps disperse spores?
The fruiting body releases spores after host manipulation and death.
Zygospore
A thick-walled sexual spore of Zygomycota.
Sporangium
A structure containing asexual spores.
Phototropism
Growth or movement in response to light.
Why is phototropism useful for spore-producing fungi?
It improves spore dispersal opportunities.
Chytridiomycota
A fungal phylum containing motile zoospores.
Zoospore
A flagellated fungal spore.
Which fungal phylum contains motile spores?
Chytridiomycota.
Why are chytrids unusual among fungi?
They produce flagellated cells.
Cryptomycota
A poorly characterised fungal phylum with highly reduced morphology.
Rozella
A representative genus of Cryptomycota.
Endoparasitic
Living inside the tissues or cells of a host and obtaining nutrients from it.
What does endoparasitic mean?
The fungus lives inside its host and derives nutrients from it.
Cryptococcus neoformans
An encapsulated pathogenic yeast.
Why is Cryptococcus medically important?
It causes opportunistic fungal infections.
How is the capsule of Cryptococcus visualised?
Using India ink as a negative stain.
Why does Cryptococcus show a zone of clearance with India ink?
The capsule excludes the stain.
What is monokaryotic fruiting?
Fruiting involving cells of the same mating type.
Why can Cryptococcus undergo monokaryotic fruiting?
Opposite mating types are often rare in nature.
Why is monokaryotic fruiting advantageous?
It still generates genetic diversity.
Candida albicans
An opportunistic fungal pathogen.
Is Candida albicans normally haploid or diploid?
Diploid.