The Fungi KingdomMycolog

y -the study of fungi

fungi - pluralfungus - singular

1) fungi are eukaryotic•they have a nuclei & mitochondria

2) they are heterotrophs•they depend on other organisms for food3) they are multicellular

4) they cannot move on their own

4 Main Characteristics of Fungi

The Fungi Kingdom

1) fungi lack chlorophyll

2) fungi are not photosynthetic•cannot produce their own food

3) they never reproduce by seeds4) most fungi have cell walls made of chitin…

4 Reasons Fungi Are Different From Plants

cellulose•Plant cell walls are made of

•most are saprophytes•some are parasites

Saprophyte-feeds on dead/decaying organisms

The Fungi KingdomParts of fungi:

Hyphae – network of thin thread-like structures (filaments) that form the “body” of fungus

• hyphae grow and branch until they cover and digest the food source (upon which the fungi is growing).

• hyphae contain cytoplasm

hypha - singularhyphae - plural

The Fungi Kingdom

Mycelium - a mass of hyphaemycelia - plural

•The mycelium is usually hidden in the soil, in wood, or another food source

•Some hyphae may be divided by septa.•A mycelium may fill a single ant, or cover many acres

The Fungi KingdomWhat are we looking at when we

see a… fungus-among-us?

The ‘living’ body of the fungus is a mycelium

The part of the fungus that we see is only the “fruit” of the organism

The Fungi Kingdom

1. Most fungi reproduce both sexually and asexually.

2. Most fungi reproduce by using spores (asexual)

Reproduction is classified according to:

3. Fungi spores are microscopic.

EX: Mushrooms & puffballs release large clouds of spores. Each cloud contains millions of spores

Fungi Reproduction:

1) the way they form the spores

2) the shape of the structure in which spores are made

Asexual reproduction – production of various types of spores

*Sporangiophores- upright stalk with an enclosed sac ( bread mold)*Conidia - upright stalk with no enclosed sac (penicillin)*Fragmentation – hyphae dry out and shatter releasing individual cells that act like spores (athlete’s foot)*Budding – part of a yeast cell pinches itself off to produce small offspring

Sexual reproduction*Hyphae of different mating types fuse and give rise to a specialized structure that produces spores (diploid)*Most fungi are haploid throughout most of their life cycle

When environmental conditions are favorable, asexual reproduction occurs rapidly. When unfavorable conditions stress the organism, sexual reproduction occurs and the offspring have an increased likelihood that they will be better suited for the environment.

The Fungi Kingdom

Sporangium fungi reproduces by spores in the sporangia.

•Sporangia- structures found on the tips of hyphae that make spores

•Ex: Bread Mold

•Bread mold produces spores in sporangia that stick up above the bread

3 main Phyla

1. Phylum Zygomycota (Common molds)

Spraying with blue vitriol

• The hyphae that anchor the mold tothe surface are called rhizoids.

Digestive enzymes produced by rhizoids break down the bread to release nutrients.

• Other hyphae, called stolons grow across the surface of the bread (horizontally).

2. Phylum Basidiomycota – Club Fungi• Gets name from specialized reproduction structure resembling a

club, called basidium – found on the underside of mushroom cap in the gills

• One mushroom may produce 1 billion spores• Some are edible, some are toxic• Examples: Mushrooms, puffballs, rusts, and shelf fungi• Most elaborate life cycle of all the fungi

The spore bearing structureof basidiomycetes is an above-ground structure called a basidiocarp. Mushrooms arebasidiocarps. The basidiocarpconsists of a stem called a stalkand a flattened top known as a cap.

The fruiting bodies of a basidiomycete form a ring in a meadow, commonly called "fairy ring.” The body of this fungus, its mycelium, is underground and grows outward in a circle. As it grows, the mycelium depletes the soil of nitrogen, causing the mycelia to grow away from the center, leading to the "fairy ring" of fruiting bodies where there is adequate soil nitrogen.

Examples of Basidiomycetes

Puffballs

Examples of Basidiomycetes

Shelf or bracket fungi

Examples of Basidiomycetes

Rusts

Examples of Basidiomycetes

Earth stars Toadstool

Death cap

Basidiomycetes usually reproduce sexuallyby means of a fruiting body, also called amushroom.

Use the book, page 531, Figure 26-5Draw and label the figure. List the steps 1-6from the paragraph above.

3. Phylum Ascomycota (sac fungi)

Ascomycetes produce 2 kinds of spores: 1. Asexual spores called conidia. 2. Ascospores are produced by sexual reproduction. Ascospores develop inside sacs called ascus.Ex. Yeast, powdery mildews, truffles, and

morels

*Saccharomycetes cerecisiae is the scientificname for a yeast that is used to make breaddough rise for bakers. It ferments grapesinto wine and grain into beer.

Phylum Ascomycota (sac fungi)*Yeast ferment sugar to ethanol and carbondioxide.

*Yeast is also used in the commercial production of some vitamins and some human therapeutic proteins.

*The fungal partner in most lichens is anascomycete.

Lichen – symbiotic relationship between algae and fungi

Truffle- a delicacy

Morel- adelicacy

Penicillium is a genus of ascomycete fungiwhere we get the antibiotic penicillin.

Phylum Ascomycota (sac fungi)

Sir Alexander Flemming-Accidently discovered penicillin.

Yeast

Yeast cells go through budding.

Lichens

Lichens

* Lichens are dual organisms, so they are difficult to place in a classification.

* They represent symbiotic (mutualistic) relationships between fungi and green algae, fungi and cyanobacteria, or fungi and both.

* The fungus is the dominant physical component of the lichen, and lichens are usually classified with the fungi.

* Nevertheless, the association appears to have originated through fungi parasitizing algae and/or cyanobacteria.

Where do lichens belong in the classification of living organisms?

Special Characteristics of Lichens

-they are pioneers-they produce acid to dissolve rocks-they don’t tolerate sulphur-dioxide in the air-as they die massively in case of air pollution, they are indicators of it.

Importance of Fungi

1. Many of them live in mutualism with the roots of trees. They can substitute root hairs as in the case of pine trees.2. They can be decomposers. 3. They can cause diseases to plants, to animals or even humans.4.They can be edible or poisonous.5.They can be useful for the distilling and pharmaceutical industry.6.They help in the process of making breads, cheeses, and soy products like miso, tofu, tempeh, and soy sauces.