Introduction to Fungi and Non-Tracheophyte Plants

These flashcards cover the fundamental concepts introduced in the lecture about fungi and non-tracheophyte plants, including major vocabulary terms, definitions, and categories relevant to the subject matter.

Hypothesis

A proposed explanation for a phenomenon that can be tested through experiments.

Null Hypothesis

The hypothesis that there is no effect or no difference; it serves as a default or baseline to compare against.

Control Group

The group in an experiment that does not receive the treatment or variable being tested.

Dependent Variable

The variable that is measured in an experiment; affected by the independent variable.

Independent Variable

The variable that is manipulated in an experiment, which affects the dependent variable.

Mycology

The branch of biology that deals with fungi.

Bryophytes

Non-tracheophyte plants that include liverworts, mosses, and hornworts; they are seedless and have a dominant gametophyte generation.

Gametes

Reproductive cells (sperms and eggs) produced by organisms for sexual reproduction.

Sporophyte

The diploid phase of the life cycle of plants that produces spores.

Mycorrhizae

Mutually beneficial associations between fungi and plant roots.

Lichens

Symbiotic associations between fungi and algae or cyanobacteria.

Chytridiomycota

A phylum of fungi characterized by flagellated spores and often involved in the decline of amphibian populations.

Zygomycota

A phylum of fungi that includes bread molds; they have multinucleate hyphae and produce zygospores.

Ascomycota

A large phylum of fungi known as sac fungi; characterized by ascospores produced in a sac-like structure.

Basidiomycota

A phylum of fungi also known as club fungi, characterized by producing basidiospores on a club-shaped structure.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that obtain their nutrients by consuming organic substances.

Saprophyte

An organism that feeds on dead or decaying organic matter.

Extracellular Digestion

The process by which organisms break down food outside their cells.

Chitin

A long-chain polymer that strengthens the cell walls of fungi.