Fungi Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover key terms and definitions related to fungi as discussed in the lecture notes.

Fungi

Eukaryotic organisms that are heterotrophic and absorb nutrients.

Mycelium

A mass of hyphae that forms the vegetative part of a fungus.

Hyphae

Thread-like structures that make up the mycelium and can be aseptate or septate.

Aseptate Hyphae

Hyphae that are not partitioned into smaller cells, resulting in a multinucleate condition.

Septate Hyphae

Hyphae that contain cross walls (septa) dividing cells.

Chitin

A tough polysaccharide that makes up the cell walls of fungi.

Fruiting Body

A reproductive structure of fungi that produces spores.

Conidia

A type of asexual spore produced by fungi at the tips of hyphae.

Plasmogamy

The fusion of cytoplasm from two parental mycelia in the sexual reproduction of fungi.

Karyogamy

The fusion of nuclei from the mating types in fungi.

Ascomycota

A phylum of fungi characterized by sac-like structures called asci that produce ascospores.

Basidiomycota

A phylum of fungi characterized by club-shaped cells called basidia that produce basidiospores.

Dikaryotic Fungi

Fungi with two distinct nuclei in their cells during part of their life cycle.

Mycorrhizal Fungi

Fungi that form beneficial associations with plant roots.

Dimorphic Fungi

Fungi that can exist in both spore-producing hyphal forms in the environment and pathogenic yeast forms in hosts.

Biotechnology

The use of living organisms, like fungi, to develop or create products.

Mycotoxins

Toxic compounds produced by fungi that can contaminate crops and affect human health.

Epidermophyton floccosum

A fungus that causes athlete's foot.

Candida albicans

A yeast that can cause infections in humans.