The Fungi Kingdom 1.) they are multicellular- bread mold and mushrooms, not yeast ( single celled ). 2.) they cannot move on their own 2 Main Characteristics of Fungi

1) fungi lack chlorophyll 2. cannot produce their own food 3) they never reproduce by seeds 4) most fungi have cell walls made of chitin… Except molds 4 Reasons Fungi Are Different From Plants most are saprophytes some are parasites Saprophyte- feeds on dead/decaying organisms

The Fungi Kingdom Parts of fungi: Hyphae - network of thin thread-like structures absorb water and nutrients. hyphae grow and branch until they cover and digest the food source hypha - singular hyphae - plural

Parts of fungi: Mycelium -a mass of hyphae The mycelium is usually hidden in the soil, in wood, or another food source A mycelium may fill a single ant, or cover many acres

What 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

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 4 Main Types of Fungi: 1.Sporangium Fungi/Mold

The Fungi Kingdom Rhizoids- hyphae of bread mold that digest bread for ingestion

The Fungi Kingdom 2. Club fungi - have a club-shaped part which produces the spores 3. Sac Fungi - produce spores in sac-like structures EX: yeasts, cup fungi, powdery mildews, & lichens Lichens - a fungus and an organism with chlorophyll that live together Example: Mushrooms

The Fungi Kingdom

4) Imperfect – sporangium/mold, sac, and club fungi that can only reproduce asexually cause most fungal diseases in humans EX: ringworm, athletes foot, thrush

The Fungi Kingdom the structure of the fungi that you can see, is the part that carries out reproduction most fungi reproduce by using spores Reproduction is classified according to: 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

How Do Fungi Get Around Not Being Tall Enough? Fungi have a major problem: Many fungi do not grow tall enough to clear the "boundary layer" of still air next to the ground so they… 1) Shoot their spores 2) Use animals, water or wind for dispersal Once spores are caught by something they can be carried long distances

The Fungi Kingdom

Wind and water can carry pieces of hyphae to new places. If enough moisture and food is present, the spores/hyphae can grow into new fungi Fungi can also reproduce from pieces of hyphae. Fungi Reproduction Cont’d:

Most fungi do not have chlorophyll, a cell wall, or a nucleus. They are parasites or saprophytes. 1. Example Bread Mold The main body of most fungi is a thick mat of threads. The threads are called hyphae. There are spore cases at the end of the stalks. Most Fungi reproduce by spores. Hyphae grow through the food substances.They absorb water, minerals and digested food.

The Fungi Kingdom hyphae of bread mold that digest bread for ingestion

2. Example Mushrooms They are large fungi which are known to most people. The visible part of the mushroom is a reproductive structure. It is a cap on top of a thick stalk. The cap consist of many hyphae fused together. Most mushrooms contain many platelike gills on the cap. The gills extend out from the stalk like the spokes of a wheel. Spores are produced on the gills.

The Fungi Kingdom What 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

3. Yeast They are one-celled. They are sperical or egg-shaped. The cells contain a nucleus, vacuole and cytoplasm. Yeast cells reproduce by budding or fission.

How to make a spore print You will need: white paper, mushroom, bowl or jar, knife, and hairspray. Choose a mature mushroom. Young mushrooms and button mushrooms do not drop enough spores to create good spore prints.

Slice the stem off the mushroom. Be careful not to damage the mushroom's gills or your spore print will not be accurate.

Place the mushroom on the paper, gill side down. The gills are the thin vertical lines under the mushroom cap where the spores are stored. This will allow the spores to fall onto the paper.

Set the glass jar over the mushroom. This will prevent even a slight breeze from moving the spores and disturbing your print.

Let it sit. Leave the mushroom, jar and paper undisturbed overnight. This will ensure that enough spores have dropped from the mushroom to make a lovely print.

Remove the jar and mushroom carefully, to avoid smudging the print, and admire your work. If you want to save your spore print, cover it carefully with hairspray.