Kingdom Fungi Common Characteristics: Eukaryotic No chlorophyll and are heterotrophs Cell walls of cells are made of chitin Most are multicellular. Only unicellular fungus is yeast. Digest food outside their bodies and absorb the nutrients through their cell walls. Most are saprophytes, others are parasites. Reproduction – asexually (cells or hyphae break off and begin to grow on their own, forming of spores or budding as in yeast) or sexually through gametes that combine to form a zygote Study of Fungi = Mycology

Structure and Function of Fungi: All fungi are multicellular except for yeasts. Multicellular fungi are composed of thin filaments called hyphae.

Many hyphae tangled together into a thick mass is called the mycelium

The part of the mushroom that we see is called the fruiting body. This is the reproductive structure growing from the mycelium in the soil beneath.

Classification of Fungi Classified according to their structure and the method of reproduction. 4 Main phyla: Zygomycota (Common molds) Ascomycota (Sac Fungi) Basidiomycota (Club Fungi) Deuteromycota (Imperfect Fungi)

Chytridiomycota – Phylum of Primitive Fungi/Chytrids Smallest fungi Mostly aquatic Produces spores with flagella Some are decomposers Others are parasites of protists, plants or animals Example: Ich

Zygomycota (Common molds or bread molds) Terrestrial Have 2 kinds of hyphae: Rhizoids and Stolons Reproduce sexually through zygospores Examples: Bread mold and Black mold

Ascomycota (Sac Fungi) Largest phylum Named after the reproductive structure (ascus) which contains the spores.

Examples Morels Truffles

Yeast Cup fungi

Athlete’s foot Ringworm

Basidiomycota (Club Fungi) Named after the spore producing structure which is the basidium found in the cap. It looks like a club.

Complex life cycle They have a part above ground and a part below ground. Mushroom is the fruiting body. When the cap opens, billions of spores are released.

Examples: Bracket or Shelf fungi

Mushrooms

Smuts fungi Rusts fungi Cause disease in plants

Deuterymycota – Imperfect fungi Fungi that cannot be placed in other phyla because researchers have never been able to observe a sexual phase in their life cycles.

Penicillium Example: