Fungi The decomposers

Ecological Importance Decomposition Symbiosis with plants (mycorrhizae)

Economic Importance FermentationFood

Economic Importance: Antibiotics

Zygomycota Ascomycota Basidiomycota

Characteristcs of fungi Feed by absorption Most are multicellular Thread-like filaments called hyphae Hyphae organized into mycelium Asexual and sexual reproduction Chitin cell walls

Fusion of cytoplasm Heterokaryotic stage Fusion of nuclei Diploid stage Haploid stage

Zygomycota Zygote fungi Rhizopus stolonifer Pilobolus crystallinus

Ascomycota: Sac fungi Peziza Morels Ergot Penicillium

Ergot alkaloids Responsible for Salem witch trials? Ergotamine is a precursor to LSD

Basidiomycota: Club fungi

Pileus Stipe Gills

Fungi imperfecti (once called Deuteromycota) Imperfect or asexual fungi Reproduce only vegetatively (asexually) Many human diseases are imperfect fungi Athlete’s foot, ringworm, candida “yeast” infections A fungi from this group is used to make Roquefort and blue cheeses

Lichen a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae or cyanobacteria (commonly Nostoc)