Fungi

-Found in the Domain Eukarya.

-The study of fungi is Mycology.

-Examples include molds, mildew, mushrooms, toadstools, rusts, baker’s yeast and smuts.

Corn Smut on Corn

The Kingdom Fungi

- Mostly terrestrial.- Cell Walls made of Chitin.- Reproduce by Spores (Within the kingdom fungi, reproduction can be sexual or asexual).

Fungal Facts

Spore production by Aspergillus, a common kitchen mold. Tiny spores called conidia, form in chains at the tips of stalks called conidiophores. They often form black patches on moldy bread.

- Like animals, fungi are heterotrophic (feed on other things).- Fungi feed by secreting hydrolytic enzymes outside the body where extracellular digestion occurs, then the building blocks of the nutrients are absorbedabsorbed into the body of the fungus by diffusion.- Fungi are important Decomposers in ecosystems. Decomposition involves the breakdown of organic material into inorganic nutrients. - Fungi are important Pathogens (cause disease) of plants and animals. - Certain species have important relationships with the roots of plants, which improve the absorbing capacity of the plant’s root systems. (See Root Powerpoint)- Considering human food, yeast fungi is important in producing cheese, leavened bread and alcoholic drinks. - Fungi such as Penicillium have been important in producing antibiotics. - 80,000 species have been discovered and named by science. There may be up to 1.5 million species in existence.

Fungal Facts

Mycelium is part of the fungal body. It is a branching underground network of filaments called hyphae (singular, hypha). A Hypha is a slender branching tube together make up the mycelium. Hypha is a tubular, threadlike eukaryotic cell (or portion of a cell) that bears one or more nuclei and grows at the tip, characteristic of fungi.

The entire fungal body is called a Thallus. Thallus – a plant, fungus or protist body that is simpler than a vascular plant, lacking lignified vascular tissue.

Fungal Body Structure

A mushroom, the reproductive part of the fungus. The mushroom is made of filaments tightly packed together, the mushroom is only part of the fungus.

Individual hypha making up a young mycelium.

Lichen

Lichen is a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and photosynthetic algae or cyanobacteria. In symbiosis, both species benefit. The fungus shelters the algae or bacteria and provides minerals and water, taking energy-rich carbon compounds in return.

Kingdom Fungi is a sister group to animals. Fungi is closer related to animals than plants. The below reorganization of the kingdom fungi is based on DNA comparisons.

Classification of fungi is in flux.

Fungi Classification

The Kingdom Fungi uses phyla (singular, phylum) instead of divisions.

Kingdom Fungi

Phylum Ascomycota

Phylum Basidiomycota

Phylum Glomeromycota

Phylum Zygomycota

Phylum Chrytridiomycota

Fungi Classification

Fungi Classification

BIO 141 Botany with Laboratory

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