classification of fungi: unit 4, Chapter 22

5 phyla of fungi

  • Chytridiomycota
  • Zygomycota
  • Ascomycota

Chytridiomycota

  • Chytridiomycetes ( only class)
  • Simplest and most primitive (500 MYA)
  • Most unicellular - some multicellular
  • Only fungi with flagella (both male and female gametes)
  • Most aquatic environments
  • Some parsitice species - plants, insects, amphibians

Zygomycota - conjugation fungi

  • Most are saprobes
  • Ex. black bread mold
  • Used in industry - semi-synthetic steroid hormones
  • Coenocytic (“aseptate”) hyphae
  • Usually asexual reproduction - sporangia - sporangiospores
  • Sexual reproduction - conjugation
  • Need 2 opposing mating strads (type + and Type -)
  • Zygosporse

Glomeromycota

  • Arbuscular mycorrhizal - plant roots
  • Cannot survive without plant roots.

Ascomycota - sac fungi

  • ascus : sac like structure contains haploid ascospores
  • Septate hyphae
  • Economic importance - food yeast parasites
  • Morels
  • Penicillin
  • reproduction’
  • Asexual - conidiophores produce conidiospores
  • Sexual reproduction
  • Male strain - antheridium
  • Female strain - ascogonium
  • Asci fill ascocarp (fruiting body)

Basidiomycota - club fungi

  • Basidia - club like (sexual) spore-forming structures
  • Septate hyphae
  • Most produce large fruiting body
  • Most common mushrooms (grilled mushrooms), shelf fungi. Smuts and rusts
  • Reproduction - alternation of generations
  • Haploid and dilj