1. Kingdom Fungi Pima Medical Institute Veterinary Technician Program
VTT 200 General Sciences—Biology

2. Kingdom Fungi—General Notes
More advanced than Protists because of their mode of nutrition and the fact that most are multi-cellular (yeast is the lone exception— yeasts are unicellular fungi)
All are Eukaryotic and capable of reproducing asexually; some fungi (certain yeasts) can also reproduce sexually

3. Kingdom Fungi—General Notes
Many are symbiotic—living in a communal situation with another organism
Some are parasitic—feeding off a host
All are heterotrophic—taking in carbon based nutrients from their environment
Some are decomposers—breaking down dead organisms and recycling the material
All have cell walls made of chitin, not cellulose like plants

4. Structures of Fungi Hyphae (singular Hypha)
Thread-like filaments consisting of many cells protruding from the main body
Each cell may contain more than one nucleus
Septate hyphae--visible walls of chitin between the cells
Aseptate hyphae have no visible walls between the cells so cytoplasm and nutrients can freely move between cells
Mycelium is a tangled mass of hyphae that appears like a cottony mass—it can grow down through a food source and secrete enzymes to help digest the source

5. Structures of Fungi Spores-Method of asexual reproduction of molds
Hyphae form a sporing body at the end of the filament
Fungi are divided up by their method of reproduction and nutrition

6. Phyla of Kingdom Fungi
The 4 phyla of Kingdom Fungi are divided because of their reproductive life cycles
This means in Fungi we will classify by three levels down of the Taxonomy chain:
Domain Eukaryote
Kingdom Fungi
Phylum

7. Phylum Zygomycota
Reproduce by asexually producing spores which are commonly seen as a “flower like” structure on the end of the hypha
Hypha is commonly aseptate
Spore is common Sporangium
EX: Common bread mold (Genus Rhizopus)
Veterinary EX: (Genus Aspergillis) whose spores can be inhaled and are deadly

8. Phylum Ascomycota
These fungi are commonly known as “Sac Fungi” because they produce a tough sac which contain spores which are budded off
Most are considered YEAST
Unicellular with asexual or sexual reproduction, more prolific asexually
EX: Baker’s yeast
Vet EX: Many genus
Malassezia-common ear yeast
Candida-vaginal yeast
Cocciodiodes- Valley Fever
Cryptococcus- see handout

9. Phylum Basidomycota
Includes common mushrooms, toadstools and bracket fungi growing from trees in forest
Visible part is the fruiting body with spores contained in gills under the cap, the gills rupture and release the spores
Mycelium and hyphae are underground
Commonly involved in decomposing dead organisms
No veterinary pathogens; however, if ingested may be toxic

10. Phylum Deuteromycota
Spores are known as “Conidiospores” and may be macro- or micro- in size
Spores may extend off end of hypha like penicillin or protrude from hypha like as “leaf-like” conidiospores like ringworm
EX: Penicillium (important antibiotic) or Tinea (agent of Athlete’s Foot)
Vet EX: Genuses Microsporum and Trichophyton (common veterinary dermatophytes-ringworm)

11. Pathogenic Fungi
Refer to Handout for molds and yeasts implicated in human and veterinary diseases