Kingdom Fungi

Cordyceps Fungus

Recall DOMAIN Eukarya KINGDOM Fungi EXAMPLE Mushroom CELL TYPE Eukaryote  NUMBER OF CELLS Mostly multicellular  CELL WALL 
MATERIAL Chitin  NUTRITION  Heterotrophs  PRIMARY MEANS OF 
REPRODUCTION Sexual and Asexual

Structure of Fungi Hyphae (singular hypha) Fruiting Body Densely packed Hard to see individually Nutrient transport Fruiting Body The part seen above ground Reproductive structure Mycelia (singular mycelium) Branching network Majority of the organism Live in soil and on other nutritious substances like living, dying, or dead wood and animal bodies

Fungal Nutrition Fungi carry out external digestion - they secrete enzymes that break down food before it enters the cells Important decomposers in an environment Nutrients are then absorbed through the cell membrane There are 4 ways fungi obtain nutrients:

Fungal Reproduction Asexual Mitosis Spore production Budding: small cell develops attached to the parent;     eventually gets pinched off and forms new individual Fragmentation: piece of mycelium breaks off and forms a new individual Sexual Conjugation Advantage of being able to reproduce sexually and asexually… Asexual reproduction In good environment Sexual reproduction in times of stress (ensures variation)

Dispersal of Spores

Fungal Classification Fungi are classified into 5 groups based on how they reproduce and the structure of the fruiting body they produce: 1. Fungi Imperfecti Diverse group of fungi that reproduce asexually Examples: Penicillium mould (greenish mould that forms on fruit; used to make the antibiotic penicillin) Fungi used to make certain blue cheeses

2. Chytrids Mostly unicellular Mostly aquatic – their spores have flagella Example: Synchytrium endobioticum (lives in wet soil and causes potato wart)

3. Zygospore Fungi Mostly multicellular Mostly terrestrial Can reproduce sexually or asexually Common moulds, like those that form on food Example: Rhizopus bread mould

4. Sac Fungi Largest group of fungi Some develop small finger-like sacs called asci during sexual reproduction Group also includes single-celled yeasts, that reproduce asexually by budding (pinching off)

5. Club Fungi Includes all mushrooms The mushroom that we eat are actually the fruiting bodies of these fungi (the part that releases spores for reproduction)

Fungi and Human Health

Fungi and Human Health Hallucinogens Some mushrooms contain chemicals that trigger hallucinations if eaten. These "magic mushrooms" are often related to species that are deadly if eaten, and often contain small amounts of poison in them as well!

Homework Read pages 105-109 #19, 21-23 (page107) #1, 6, 7 (page 110)