Characteristics of Fungi:

• Cell walls made of chitin

• Eukaryotic

• Most multicellular (some like yeast, unicellular)

• Heterotrophs

• Reproduce using spores

• Bodies made of hyphae

• Extracellular digestion and absorption of nutrients

Hyphae:

• Thread-like filaments that make up multicellular fungus

• Begin growth when spore germinates

  • The new cell will form a strand of hyphae, complete with a new nucleus and organelles

  • Firm, the cell wall is made of chitin

  • Segmented in some fungi- separation called the septum

• Can grow upward and outward

  • outward growth resembles branches of a tree and is known as mycelium (have a huge SA)

How Fungi feed:

• use extracellular digestion

• Hyphal tips release enzymes

  • enzymes break down food

  • products diffuse back into hyphae

How vs Plants:

• Both contain cell walls

  • plant cells are made of cellulose and fungi cell walls are made of chitin

• Fungi are heterotrophic and plants are autotrophic

• Plants have vascular tissue and fungi are not vascular

• Mycelium, not roots

Fungi and the Ecosystem

• Mutualistic associations with photosynthetic organisms in which both partners benefit

  • Mycorrhizae- mutualistic relationships between fungus + plant roots

  • Essential for plant growth

  • Fungi hyphae collect water/minerals and bring them to the roots, also release enzymes that free nutrients in the soil

  • Plants provide fungi w/ the products of photosynthesis (oxygen/sugar)

• Decomposition:

  • release digestive enzymes in the environments which break down organic material into simple molecules which an b used by other organisms

Fungi and the Importance to Humans

• Food Industry: cheese, bread, soy sauce

• Alcoholic beverages

• Antibiotics

Pathogenic Fungi

• Athletes’ foot, Ringworm, Vaginal yeast infections, pathogenic fungi that infects, plants, insects