Mushrooms & Myth: Perseus

Foxfire

Fungi: Friend or Foe?

Fungi Plant Diseases Human & Animal Mycoses Mycotoxins Spoilage Allergic Responses Mycorrhizal Assoc. Biological Control Cheese RipeningIndustrial Enzymes Antimicrobics Fermentation Friend Foe

Decay / Nutrient Cycling vs. Rot & Spoilage

Food Source

Food Source: Fermentation

Toxins Aflatoxin St. Anthony’s Fire (Ergot)

Diseases

Medicines Penicillin Cyclosporin

Symbioses

Fungi: General Characteristics

Fungi versus fungi “fungus” is used inclusively for a heterogenous group of organisms that have traditionally been studied by mycologists “Fungi” refers to the organisms in the Kingdom Fungi, the true fungi, also called the “Eumycota”

Are fungi bacteria? NO Eukaryotic Different cell wall – Glucans, chitin, other polysaccharides – As opposed to peptidoglycan

Not plants – why? – No chlorophyll – No leaves, stems, roots – Primary carbohydrate storage as glycogen – Cell wall composition (not cellulose) (Language from botany) Fungi: General Characteristics

Not animals – why? – Absorptive nutrition – (unicellular) – Non-motile Fungi: General Characteristics

Eukaryotic Heterotrophic – Absorptive nutrition – Need free water to move nutrients – Some omnivorous, other more restricted Diversity of growth conditions Reproduction: – Asexual & sexual – Via spores

Filamentous or unicellular (yeasts) Definite cell walls Nonmotile (some motile reproductive cells) Most saprobes – Some parasites – Some predacious Fungi: General Characteristics

Fungi: Structural Terms Hypha (pl. Hyphae) Mycelium (pl. Mycelia) Septum (pl. Septa)

Fungi: Structural Terms Yeast Pseudohypha Germ Tube

Sexual Reproduction in Fungi