1. The Kingdom Fungi

2. What is a Fungus? Fungi are eukaryotic heterotrophs
Decomposers known as saprophytes
Cell walls made up of chitin
Some are parasites – Ex. Athlete’s Foot, Ringworm
Some are symbionts – Ex. Lichen
Fungi do not ingest food, they release enzymes and absorb nutrients

3. Structure and Function of Fungi
All fungi are multicellular (except yeasts, which are unicellular)
Composed of tiny filaments called hyphae. Each hyphae is only one cell thick.
Many hyphae tangled together into a thick mass called a mycelium. Mycelium absorbs nutrients for fungi
What you see above ground is the fruiting body, or reproductive structure of fungi. Fruiting body develops from mycelium underground.
Why is the fruiting body above ground?
Why is the mycelium underground?

4. The Structure of a Mushroom
Fruiting body
Hyphae
“Gills” would be located under here – where spores can be found
Mycelium
This is a typical Club fungi

5. Reproduction and Spreading of Fungi
Most fungi reproduce both sexually and asexually
Asexually – hyphae break off and grow on their own or scatter spores
Some fungi lure animals with scent to help them disperse their spores over distances
Fragmentation, spores, conjugation

6. Classification of Fungi
Classified according to structures and method of reproduction
Four phyla:
Zygomycota – Common Molds
Ascomycota – Sac Fungi
Basidiomycota – Club Fungi
Deuteromycota – Imperfect Fungi

7. Phylum Zygomycota – Common Molds - Zygomycetes
Terrestrial
Hyphae lack cross walls – they look like one big cell
Nuclei
Cell wall
Cytoplasm
Cross wall
Hyphae With Cross Walls
Hyphae Without Cross Walls

8. Phylum Zygomycota – Common Molds - Zygomycetes
Example: Black bread mold, Rhizopus stolonifer
Black bread mold has root-like hyphae that penetrates the surface of bread – called rhizoids

9. Phylum Ascomycota – Sac Fungi
Largest phylum – 30,000 species
Nuclei separated by cross walls
Named for ascus – reproductive structure containing spores
Examples: Yeast (unicellular), cup fungi
Nuclei
Cell wall
Cytoplasm
Cross wall
Hyphae With Cross Walls
Hyphae Without Cross Walls

10. Examples of Phylum Ascomycota
Yeast
Aleuria aurantia
Cookeina colensoi

11. Phylum Basidiomycota – Club Fungi
Gets name from specialized reproduction structure resembling a club, called basidium – found on the underside of mushroom cap in the gills
One mushroom may produce 1 billion spores
Some are edible, some are toxic
Examples: Mushrooms, toadstools
Most elaborate life cycle of all the fungi

12. Examples of Phylum Basidiomycota
Orange Jelly
Pigskin Poison Puffball
Fly Agaric
Bird’s Nest Fungus
Star Stinkhorn
Shelf Fungus

13. Examples of Phylum Basidiomycota
Laetiporus sulphureus: The Chicken of the Woods

14. Phylum Deuteromycota – Imperfect Fungi
Varied phylum
Not much known about fungi placed in this phylum
Example: Penicillium – antibiotics
Do not appear to have sexual reproduction

15. Examples of Phylum Deuteromycota
Penicillium notatum
Ringworm
Athlete’s
Foot

16. are divided into the phyla
Fungi
are divided into the phyla
Ascomycota
Zygomycota
Basidiomycota
Deuteromycota
includes
includes
includes
includes
Common molds
Sac fungi
Club fungi
Imperfect fungi