Evolution of Plant and Fungal Diversity

Kingdom Fungi

Largest living organism is honey mushroom.

Eukaryotic

Organisms with complex cells and nuclei.

Multicellular

Most fungi consist of multiple cells.

Unicellular

Some fungi, like yeasts, are single-celled.

Haploid life cycle

Fungi primarily reproduce with haploid spores.

Windblown spores

Spores dispersed by wind during reproduction.

Armillaria ostoyae

Honey mushroom causing tree root rot.

Chitin

Fungal cell walls contain this polysaccharide.

Cellulose

Plant cell walls contain this carbohydrate.

Glycogen

Fungi store energy as glycogen, not starch.

Mycologists

Scientists who specialize in studying fungi.

Mycelium

Body of a fungus made of hyphae.

Hyphae

Filaments that make up the mycelium.

Septate hyphae

Hyphae with cross walls or septa.

Nonseptate hyphae

Multinucleated hyphae without cross walls.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that absorb food from surroundings.

Saprotrophic decomposers

Fungi that decompose organic matter.

Fungal diseases

Infections like smuts and rusts harm crops.

Yeast infections

Fungi causing infections in humans.

Molecular data

Genetic evidence shows fungi relate more to animals.

Mutualism

Fungi engage in beneficial relationships with plants.

Edible mushrooms

30 species are commercially sold in the U.S.

Truffles

Expensive fungi, priced like gold per ounce.

Penicillins

Antibiotics produced from fungal sources.

Chytrids

Simplest fungi, flagellated cells, aquatic habitats.

Zygospore fungi

Saprotrophs, form zygospores during sexual reproduction.

AM fungi

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, mutualistic with plants.

Sac Fungi

Ascomycota, includes yeasts and molds, septate hyphae.

Club fungi

Basidiomycota, includes mushrooms and plant parasites.

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

Causes frog population decline, disrupts oxygen absorption.

Rhizopus stolonifer

Black bread mold, nonseptate hyphae, saprotrophic.

Ascus

Fingerlike sac in sac fungi for reproduction.

Mycorrhizae

Mutualistic association between fungi and plant roots.

Candida

Yeast causing infections, can affect immunocompromised patients.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Yeast used in wine and beer production.

Aspergillus

Green molds, used in soy sauce production.

Penicillium

Source of penicillin, flavors certain cheeses.

Zygospore

Thick-walled structure formed during zygomycete reproduction.

Zoospores

Flagellated spores in chytrids, linked to animals.

Septate hyphae

Hyphae with cross-walls, found in sac fungi.

Nonseptate hyphae

Hyphae without cross-walls, found in zygomycetes.

Brown spot disease

Chytrid disease affecting corn crops.

Black wart disease

Chytrid disease affecting potatoes.

Chestnut blight

Disease caused by sac fungi, affects chestnut trees.

Dutch elm disease

Caused by sac fungi, affects elm trees.

Ascomycota

Formal name for sac fungi, refers to ascus.

Basidium

Club-shaped structure in club fungi for reproduction.

Basidiospores

Spores produced by club fungi, dispersed by wind.

Lichens

Symbiotic relationship between sac fungi and cyanobacteria.

Pollutants

Substances harmful to lichens, absorbed from the environment.

Monophyletic

Group of organisms sharing a common ancestor.

Chytrids

Fungi with flagellated spores, ancestral lineage.

AM Fungi

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, form symbiosis with plants.

Sac Fungi

Fungi characterized by sac-like structures for spores.

Club Fungi

Fungi that produce spores on club-shaped structures.

Zygospore Fungi

Fungi that produce thick-walled zygospores during reproduction.

Kingdom Plantae

Eukaryotic, multicellular organisms, primarily photosynthetic.

Photosynthesis

Process by which plants convert light into energy.

Stoneworts

Freshwater algae, ancestors of land plants.

Chlorophylls a & b

Pigments found in algae and plants for photosynthesis.

Starch

Carbohydrate storage form in plants and algae.

Cellulose

Structural component of plant cell walls.

Vascular Tissue

Specialized tissue for water and nutrient transport.

Gymnosperms

Seed-producing plants with exposed seeds, like conifers.

Angiosperms

Flowering plants that produce seeds enclosed in fruits.

Embryo Nourishment

All plants nourish a multicellular embryo within the female.

Evolutionary Events

Key milestones in plant evolution over 500 million years.

Bryophyta

Phylum of nonvascular plants, primarily mosses.

Mosses

Cosmopolitan plants, prefer damp and shady areas.

Copper Mosses

Mosses that thrive exclusively in copper-rich areas.

Luminous Mosses

Mosses found in caves, emit golden-green light.

Spanish Moss

Not a moss; a flowering plant in pineapple family.

Sphagnum

Peat moss that absorbs large amounts of water.

Peat

Accumulated Sphagnum in wet, acidic soils.

Phylum Lycophyta

Includes club mosses, seedless vascular plants.

Selaginella

Spike mosses that produce two types of spores.

Epiphytes

Plants living on trees without parasitizing them.

Phylum Sphenophyta

Includes horsetails, typically found in marshy areas.

Phylum Pterophyta

Includes ferns, mostly tropical with frond leaves.

Fiddlehead

Curled-up form of fern leaves before unrolling.

Boston Fern

Removes formaldehyde from indoor air, per EPA.

Gymnosperms

Seed plants with naked seeds, heterosporous.

Phylum Coniferophyta

Includes evergreen trees like spruces and firs.

Bristlecone Pine

Oldest living tree, over 4,900 years old.

Monoecious

Plants producing both male and female reproductive structures.

Phylum Cycadophyta

Includes cycads, dioecious, wind-pollinated plants.

Cycas revoluta

Common landscaping sago palm, introduced species.

Phylum Ginkgophyta

Includes Ginkgo biloba, dioecious with foul-smelling seeds.

Pollution Resistance

Ginkgos thrive in polluted urban environments.

Phylum Gnetophyta

Closely related to angiosperms, some insect-pollinated.

Ephedra

Source of ephedrine, found in SW U.S. and SE Asia.

Angiosperms

Flowering plants, most diverse plant group.

Phylum Anthophyta

Includes all angiosperms, characterized by fruits.

Monocotyledones

Monocots with one seed leaf in the seed.

Monocotyledons

Plants with one cotyledon in seeds.

Eudicotyledones

Plants with two cotyledons in seeds.

Flower Parts

Monocots have parts in multiples of 3.

Eudicot Flower Parts

Eudicots have parts in multiples of 4 or 5.

Venation Types

Monocots exhibit parallel venation in leaves.

Eudicot Venation

Eudicots exhibit net venation in leaves.