The Fungi

What is mycology?

The study of fungi.

Fungi are classified as __________.

Chemoheterotrophs, which means they obtain nutrients by decomposing organic matter.

What structure makes up the main body of a fungus?

Mycelium, which is composed of long thin strands called hyphae.

__________ are the fruiting bodies of fungi that contain spores.

Mushrooms.

What are mycorrhiza?

Fungi that form symbiotic relationships with plant roots.

List two major types of fungal hyphae.

Septate hyphae and coenocytic hyphae.

What is the key difference between budding yeasts and fission yeasts?

Budding yeasts divide unevenly, while fission yeasts divide evenly.

Fungi reproduce via spores that can be formed __________ or __________.

sexually or asexually.

What are the three phases of sexual reproduction in fungi?

Plasmogamy, karyogamy, and meiosis.

What is a defining feature of the Basidiomycota phylum?

They produce sexual spores called basidiospores formed externally on a structure called a basidium.

Mycorrhizal importance

Mycorrhizae enhance nutrient absorption for plants and improve soil structure.

What do fungi do for an ecosystem?

Fungi decompose organic matter, recycling nutrients and maintaining the health of ecosystems.

Describe hyphae

Hyphae are long, thin strands that make up the mycelium, the main body of a fungus.

Fungi are

Aerobic or facultative anaerobic

Fungi are most closely related to

Animals

Early classification was based on

Morphology

List the current recognized phyla

Basidiomycota

Ascomycota

Zygomycota* (removed)

Glomeromycota

Blastocladiomycota

Chytridiomycota

Neocallimastigiomycota

Rozella

List the elements of the cell wall and their purpose

Beta-1,3-glucan (flexibility)

Beta-1,6- glucan (strength)

Manninol (hydrophobin)

Chitin (strength)

Describe the difference between vegetative and aerial hyphae

Veg: obtains nutrients

Aerial: involved in reproduction

Define diamorphic fungi

Mold like at 25°C and Yeast like at 37°C

How are asexual spores produced

Produced via mitosis and cell division by the hyphae of an individual organiam

Conidiospore:

are produced at the tip or side of hyphae or on a spore-producing structure called conidiophore not contained within a sac.

Arthroconidia:

produced by segmentation of pre-existing fungal septate hyphae

Blastocondia:

produced by yeast cells through a process called budding

Chlamydocondium:

spores produced within a hyphal segment

Sporangiospore:

spores that form within a sporangium (enclosed in a sac)

What two kingdoms were fungi previously classified under?

Plantae and Protista.

What is the role of fungi in food production?

Fungi are used in the production of bread, beer, and cheese.

What is lichen?

A symbiotic association between fungi and algae or cyanobacteria.

How do fungi affect human health?

Fungi can cause infections, but some are also used in medicine (e.g., penicillin).

What is the main mode of nutrition for fungi?

Extracellular digestion.

What are dimorphic fungi often associated with?

Pathogenic properties in humans.

Give an example of a fungal pathogen.

Candida albicans.

What is the term for the network of fungal filaments?

Mycelium.

Plasmogamy:

stage in the sexual reproduction of fungi where the protoplasm of two haploid cells fuse without the nuclei fusing

Karyogamy:

final step in the process of fusing two haploid eukaryotic cells together, and refers specifically to the fusion of the two nuclei.

Meiosis:

occurs immediately after the fusion of two haploid cells (plasmogamy and karyogamy) resulting in the production of haploid spores (gametes)

What is Zygomycota?

Zygomycota is a division of fungi characterized by the production of zygospores during sexual reproduction, typically involving coenocytic hyphae.

What is a zygospore?

spore formed during the sexual reproduction of Zygomycota fungi, resulting from sexual reproduction

What are Microsporidia?

intracellular parasitic fungi that infect animals, including humans, and are characterizedcby their lack of mitochondria

What is Ascomycota?

Ascomycota is a phylum of fungi characterized by the formation of spores in a sac-like structure called an ascus.

Anamorphic fungi

Lost the ability to sexually reproduce; seen in ascomycota

Telemorphic fungi

The ability to produce spores both sexually and asexually

Basidiomycetes produce

sexual spores called basidiospores formed externally on a structure called a basidium.

What is the most “advanced” phylum?

Basidiomycota

The three body forms of lichen

fruticose (shrub-like), foliose (leaf-like), and crustose (crust-like).

Economic importance of lichen

Lichens are used in dyes, perfumes, and as bioindicators of air quality; they also provide food for some animals and contribute to soil formation.

“ The study of Mycology is the study of….”

Evolution

Fungi appeared around:

Approximately 146 million years ago, a longside terrestrial plants