Kingdom Fungi

• Heterotrophic• Absorptive, extracellular

digestive via dig. enzymes

• Primary decomposers– Along with bacteria

• Most are Saprobes– Some parasitic– Some predatory– Some form symbiotic

relationships

• All are spore formers

Most are multicellular (except for yeasts)• Extending filaments =

hyphae• Branch network of

hyphae = mycelium• Mostly coenocytic with

reduced or partial internal septa (internal cell walls)

• Cell walls with chitin– Nitrogenous

polysaccharide

3-stage life cycle

1. Haploid stage

Mycelia of “+” hyphae (n) and “-” hyphae (n)

2. Dikaryon stage

(+) hyphae partially fuses with (-) hyphae producing a dikaryon (2 nuclei) or heterokaryon (more than two of each unfused nuclei)

** Some fungi will fuse the nuclei here and produce a zygote

3. Diploid stage

fusing of the dikaryon (or heterokaryon) nuclei

product of Karyogamy

Rhizopus hyphae

Zygomycota/Rhizopus sporangia

Rhizopus zygosporangia

Rhizopus zygosporangium 2

Suspensor cell

Zygosporangium(zygospores within)

Ecological roles• Saprobes, detritivores, recycle

nutrients

• Symbiotic– Mutualistic, parasitic, and predatory

– Nitrogen fixing• Mycorrhizae fungi transfer essential

minerals to roots in exchange for food– Can order spore inoculants to add to

planting soil

– Lichens

• Evolutionary branch of a flagellated ancestor

• Fungal clades/ phyla based primarily on reproductive variations– Strategies

– Morphological

Basidiomycota-mushrooms

Basidomycota-puffballs

Basidomycota-bracket fungi

Basidomycota-section through basidocarp

Stalk

Gills with basidia and basidiospores

Basidospores on gills of basidocarp

basidia

basidospores

Ascomycota/Hemisacomycota-Yeast

Ascomycota/Euascomycota-Morels

Ascomycota/Euascomycota-cup fungi

Ascomycota, cup sectioned

Ascospores with ascosporangia

Penicillium

Conidophore

Conidiospores (conidia)

Aspergillius

Lichen structure 2

Algal cells

Asci with ascospores

Crustose lichen

Fruticose lichen

Foliose lichen

Lichen soredia

Lichen producing soredia along margin of thallus