Lecture 21 Vocabulary (BIOL211)

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering plant pollination mechanisms, fungal phylogeny, structure, life cycles, and ecological roles based on the lecture notes.

Microgametophytes

Pollen grains that represent the male gametophyte stage in plants.

Wind pollination

A pollination method characteristic of ~$20\%$ of angiosperm species, involving small, inconspicuous green flowers that produce large quantities of pollen.

Animal pollination

A pollination method used by ~$80\%$ of angiosperms, where flowers use color, odor, and rewards like nectar to attract specific vectors.

Coevolution

The evolution of plants and pollinators in response to each other, improving the fitness of both.

Nectar guides

UV-visible patterns on flowers that attract bees, who can see in the ultraviolet spectrum.

Yucca moths

A specific group of moths that pollinate yuccas and lay eggs in the flowers, where larvae consume some of the seeds.

Opisthokonts

The group containing fungi, animals, and nucleariids, characterized by a single flagellum located at the posterior end of the cell.

Nucleariids

Unicellular amoebae that are the sister taxon to the fungi.

Absorptive chemoheterotrophs

Organisms that secrete enzymes to break down large organic molecules into small compounds absorbed from the environment for energy and carbon.

Chitin

A fibrous polysaccharide and polymer of modified glucose containing nitrogen that makes up fungal cell walls.

Yeasts

The informal name for unicellular fungi.

Hyphae

Tubular filaments that make up the mycelium or body of a multicellular fungus.

Mycelium

The mass of hyphae that constitutes the fungal body.

Septate hyphae

Hyphae divided by incomplete cross-walls called septae, often containing pores large enough for nuclei to pass through.

Coenocytic fungi

Fungi lacking septae, consisting of one large cell with many nuclei.

Fruiting bodies

Organized structures of hyphae, such as mushrooms, produced during the sexual stage of the fungal life cycle to release spores.

Plasmogamy

The stage of sexual reproduction where the cytoplasm of two haploid fungi fuse, but the nuclei remain separate.

Heterokaryon

A fungal cell containing at least two genetically different types of haploid nuclei, denoted as $n+n$.

Karyogamy

The fusion of haploid nuclei in a heterokaryon to form a diploid ($2n$) nucleus.

Conidia

Haploid spores produced asexually at the tips of fungal hyphae.

Haustoria

Specialized hyphal projections that press into plant cells to absorb nutrients without breaking the plasma membrane.

Ergot

A fungal parasite of cereal grains that produces harmful compounds and lysergic acid, the precursor to LSD.

Mycorrhizae

Mutualistic associations between fungi and plant roots where the fungus provides minerals and water in exchange for photosynthate.

Ectomycorrhizae

A type of mycorrhizae where fungal hyphae wrap around plant roots without penetrating the individual plant cells.

Arbuscular mycorrhizae

Mycorrhizae where fungal hyphae penetrate root cell walls and form tree-like structures (arbuscules) to maximize surface area.

Endophytic fungi

Fungi that live within the above-ground parts of plants and may produce chemicals that deter grazers or resist stress.

Lichens

Stable symbioses consisting of a fungal partner and a photosynthetic partner, such as a cyanobacterium or green alga.

Soredia

Asexual reproductive structures of lichens consisting of a few photosynthetic cells bound by fungal hyphae.

Lichenometry

The use of slow-growing lichens to estimate the ages of exposed rock surfaces.

Chytrids

A paraphyletic group of mostly aquatic fungi with flagellated spores.

Zygomycetes

A group of terrestrial fungi with coenocytic hyphae that produce a thick-walled zygosporangium during sexual reproduction.

Glomeromycetes

A group of fungi that form arbuscular mycorrhizae with ~$80\%$ of all known plant species.

Dikarya

A clade containing Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes, characterized by septate hyphae and a dikaryon stage ($n+n$).

Ascomycetes

Also known as "sac fungi," these produce sexual spores in sacs called asci within a fruiting body called an ascocarp.

Basidiomycetes

Also known as "club fungi," these produce sexual spores on stalks called basidia within a fruiting body called a basidiocarp.