FUNGI

FUNGI COMMON FUNGI EXAMPLES: Mushrooms, yeasts, molds, morels, bracket fungi, puff balls

Key Concepts: Fungi are heterotrophs Fungi are the decomposers Fungi use extracellular digestion – when enzymes are secreted outside of their body to digest food Most fungi are multicellular Fungal spores develop from hyphae Many fungi are symbionts with other organisms

Characteristics of Fungi Multicellular Plant looking Mushrooms, molds Single cell Yeasts Found in soil, on plants, in humans Yeast

Fungi are adapted to absorb their food from the environment. Plants Both Fungi Autotrophic (photosynthesize) Eukaryotic Heterotrophic (absorb and digest from the surface they live on for energy) Roots Non-motile/ anchored in soil or structure Decomposers 1 nucleus per cell Organelles Can have 1+ nuclei per cell Cell wall made of cellulose Cell Wall Cell wall made of chitin (carb)

3 Major Features 1.Cell walls Made of Chitin The same stuff that makes insects’ exoskeleton.

2. Hyphae Thin filaments making up the fungus. Long, thread-like chains of cells. Grow at the tips and branch… Mycelium – mass of hyphae

3. Cross-walls septum - the wall that divides cells (internal cross- walls)

Visible Anatomy of Fungi hyphae mycellium fruiting body Draw in Lab Journal: Figure 5-1 p. 553

Fungi come in many shapes and sizes. Primitive fungi are aquatic and have flagellated spores.

5 Phyla of Fungi Chytridiomycota - Chytrids Zygomycota – Common Molds Ascomycota – Sac Fungi Basidiomycota – Club Fungi Deuteromycota – Imperfect Fungi

1. Phylum Chytridiomycota Mostly marine Mostly saprophytes (lives on dead or decaying organic matter) Have flagellated spores

2. Phylum Zygomycota Mostly terrestrial. Two types of hyphae: Stolons – (horizontal) spread across the surface Rhizoids – (vertical) digs into the surface

3. Phylum Ascomycota (Sac Fungi) Most are multicellular (except for yeast) Most undergo asexual reproduction Largest phylum of Fungi Morels ascoscarp

4. Phylum Basidiomycota (Club Fungi) Club fungi have fruiting bodies which are club-shaped. Most are edible reproductive structures called basidia Include mushrooms, puffballs, and shelf fungi

5. Phylum Deuteromycota Asexual Reproduction Imperfect Fungi Do not fit into the commonly established taxonomic classification No sexual structures Multicellular tissue is similar to the hyphae of sac fungi and club fungi Erect hyphae with asexual spores similar to sac fungi and club fungi Ringworm

Fungi Slides Lab

Fungi Reproduction 3 kinds of fungi reproduction: Budding Fragmentation Spore production

Fungi reproduce sexually and asexually. Most fungi reproduce both sexually and asexually. Yeasts reproduce asexually through budding. Yeasts form asci (sexual spore-bearing cell) during sexual reproduction.

Multicellular fungi have complex reproductive cycles. distinctive reproductive structures Draw in Lab Journal: Figure 5-5 p. 556

Multicellular fungi have complex reproductive cycles. life cycles may include either sexual or asexual reproduction or both Draw in lab journal – Figure 5-6A p. 557

Multicellular fungi have complex reproductive cycles. life cycles may include either sexual or asexual reproduction or both Draw in Lab Journal: Figure 5-6B page 557

All fungi form spores and zygotes.

KEY CONCEPT Fungi recycle nutrients in the environment.

Fungi may be decomposers, pathogens, or mutualists. Fungi and bacteria are the main decomposers in any ecosystem. decompose dead leaves, twigs, logs, and animals return nutrients to the soil can damage fruit trees and wooden structures

Fungi can act as pathogens. human diseases include ringworm and athlete’s foot plant diseases include Dutch elm disease Haustoria – hyphae that penetrate the host so that the parasitic fungus can absorb nutrients

Fungi can act as mutualists. lichens form between fungi and algae mycorrhizae form between fungi and plants

Fungi (usually ascomycota) + algae (or photosynthetic bacteria) Lichens Bioindicators – help show when environmental conditions are unsuitable. Pioneer species – 1st to inhabit an environment. Fungi (usually ascomycota) + algae (or photosynthetic bacteria) foliose crustose

Crustose dispersal fragment (cells of mycobiont and of photobiont) cortex (outer layer of mycobiont) photobionts medulla (inner layer of loosley woven hyphae) cortex Crustose

Usnea – fructicose Cladonia rangiferina fructicose Old Man’s Beard Leaf-like - foliose Erect branching Lichen Cladonia rangiferina fructicose

Crustose foliose fructicose

Fungi can act as mutualists. relationships form between fungi and some insects

Fungi are studied for many purposes. Fungi are useful in several ways. as food as antibiotics as model systems for molecular biology

Fungi and Humans Bioremediation – help clean the environment.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fungi and Humans Molds Penicillium Penicillin Camembert and Roquefort cheeses Aspergillus Soy sauce Soft drinks - citric acid Yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae Bread, wine and beer Candida albicans Infections

Some Pathogenic and Toxic Fungi Zygomycetes Rhizopus - Food spoilage Ascomycetes Ajeliomyces capsulatus- Histoplasmosis Aspergillus – sinus, ear, lung infection Microsporium sp. Various ringworms. Verticillium sp Plant wilt Monilinia fructicola- Brown Rot of Peaches