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What is the characteristic feature of Coenocytic fungi?
What is the characteristic feature of Coenocytic fungi?
Almost all vascular plants have mycorrhizae.
Almost all vascular plants have mycorrhizae.
True
What do mycorrhizal fungi deliver to plants?
What do mycorrhizal fungi deliver to plants?
Phosphate ions and minerals
The body of fungi is made up of a _______________________, which is an interwoven mass of hyphae.
The body of fungi is made up of a _______________________, which is an interwoven mass of hyphae.
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Which of the following is a unique feature of fungal cell walls?
Which of the following is a unique feature of fungal cell walls?
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Mycorrhizae are in a commensalistic relationship with plants.
Mycorrhizae are in a commensalistic relationship with plants.
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Match the type of mycorrhizal fungi with its characteristic.
Match the type of mycorrhizal fungi with its characteristic.
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What is the term for specialized hyphae that allow fungi to penetrate the tissues of their host?
What is the term for specialized hyphae that allow fungi to penetrate the tissues of their host?
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What is the main function of enzymes in fungi?
What is the main function of enzymes in fungi?
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Fungi are autotrophs, meaning they produce their own food.
Fungi are autotrophs, meaning they produce their own food.
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What is the estimated number of fungal species?
What is the estimated number of fungal species?
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Fungal cell walls contain the substance _______________________.
Fungal cell walls contain the substance _______________________.
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Match the following types of fungi with their characteristics:
Match the following types of fungi with their characteristics:
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What is the term for a network of branched hyphae adapted for absorption?
What is the term for a network of branched hyphae adapted for absorption?
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Fungi only grow as filaments.
Fungi only grow as filaments.
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Describe the structure of multicellular fungi that enhances their ability to absorb nutrients.
Describe the structure of multicellular fungi that enhances their ability to absorb nutrients.
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What is unique about the spores of chytrids among fungi?
What is unique about the spores of chytrids among fungi?
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Zygomycetes are commonly called sac fungi.
Zygomycetes are commonly called sac fungi.
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What is the function of zygosporangia in zygomycetes?
What is the function of zygosporangia in zygomycetes?
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Glomeromycetes form _______________ mycorrhizae.
Glomeromycetes form _______________ mycorrhizae.
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What is a characteristic of the hyphae of zygomycetes?
What is a characteristic of the hyphae of zygomycetes?
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Ascomycetes reproduce asexually by producing enormous numbers of conidia.
Ascomycetes reproduce asexually by producing enormous numbers of conidia.
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Match the following fungal phyla with their characteristics:
Match the following fungal phyla with their characteristics:
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What is the term for the symbiotic relationship formed by glomeromycetes with plant roots?
What is the term for the symbiotic relationship formed by glomeromycetes with plant roots?
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What is the number of estimated species of fungi on Earth?
What is the number of estimated species of fungi on Earth?
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Fungi are autotrophic, meaning they produce their own food.
Fungi are autotrophic, meaning they produce their own food.
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What is the term for the symbiotic relationship between fungi and plant roots?
What is the term for the symbiotic relationship between fungi and plant roots?
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Fungi absorb nutrients through their _______________________ membrane.
Fungi absorb nutrients through their _______________________ membrane.
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Match the type of fungi with its characteristic:
Match the type of fungi with its characteristic:
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The visible parts of fungi, such as mushrooms, are the main body of the fungus.
The visible parts of fungi, such as mushrooms, are the main body of the fungus.
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What is unique about fungal cell walls?
What is unique about fungal cell walls?
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What is the term for the network of branched hyphae adapted for absorption?
What is the term for the network of branched hyphae adapted for absorption?
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How do fungi attract a mate in the dark environment?
How do fungi attract a mate in the dark environment?
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Yeast cells are multicellular organisms.
Yeast cells are multicellular organisms.
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What is the only diploid stage in the fungal life cycle?
What is the only diploid stage in the fungal life cycle?
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Fungi can engage in both sexual and _______________ reproduction.
Fungi can engage in both sexual and _______________ reproduction.
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Match the following stages in the fungal life cycle with their descriptions:
Match the following stages in the fungal life cycle with their descriptions:
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What is the advantage of asexual reproduction in fungi?
What is the advantage of asexual reproduction in fungi?
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All fungi are multicellular.
All fungi are multicellular.
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What is the result of the fusion of the nuclei in the dikaryon stage?
What is the result of the fusion of the nuclei in the dikaryon stage?
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What is the common name for the phylum Basidiomycota?
What is the common name for the phylum Basidiomycota?
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Gills in Basidiomycota are used for respiration.
Gills in Basidiomycota are used for respiration.
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What is the process through which basidiospores are created in the basidia?
What is the process through which basidiospores are created in the basidia?
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The reproductive body in Basidiomycota is referred to as the _______________.
The reproductive body in Basidiomycota is referred to as the _______________.
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Match the following terms with their definitions:
Match the following terms with their definitions:
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How many basidiospores are created in each basidia?
How many basidiospores are created in each basidia?
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What is the name of the structure that holds spores in Ascomycota?
What is the name of the structure that holds spores in Ascomycota?
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Ascomycota reproduce asexually by producing conidia.
Ascomycota reproduce asexually by producing conidia.
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What are the structures formed in each ascus in Ascomycota during meiosis?
What are the structures formed in each ascus in Ascomycota during meiosis?
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The process that occurs in the ascus to form ascospores is called _______________________.
The process that occurs in the ascus to form ascospores is called _______________________.
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Match the following terms with their definitions:
Match the following terms with their definitions:
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What is the result of the fusion of hyphae in Ascomycota?
What is the result of the fusion of hyphae in Ascomycota?
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Study Notes
Fungal Diversity
- Phylum Chytridiomycota:
- Found in freshwater and terrestrial habitats
- Can be decomposers, parasites, or mutualists
- Early divergent group in fungal evolution
- Unique feature: flagellated spores (zoospores)
- Phylum Zygomycota:
- Diverse life histories (fast-growing molds, parasites, commensal symbionts)
- Life cycle of black bread mold (Rhizopus stolonifer) is typical of the phylum
- Coenocytic hyphae with haploid spores produced in asexual sporangia
- Sexual reproduction involves zygosporangia, which are resistant to freezing and drying
- Phylum Glomeromycota:
- Previously classified as Zygomycota, now in a separate clade
- Form arbuscular mycorrhizae
- Phylum Ascomycota:
- Found in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats
- Produce sexual spores in saclike asci contained in fruiting bodies (ascocarps)
- Commonly called sac fungi
- Vary in size and complexity (unicellular yeasts to elaborate cup fungi and morels)
- Include plant pathogens, decomposers, and symbionts
- Reproduce asexually by enormous numbers of conidia
General Characteristics of Fungi
- Diversity:
- Essential for terrestrial ecosystems (break down organic material and recycle nutrients)
- 100,000 described species, estimated 1.5 million total species
- Nutrition:
- Heterotrophs, absorb nutrients from outside their body
- Use enzymes to break down complex molecules into smaller organic compounds
- Diverse lifestyles (decomposers, parasites, mutualists)
- Morphology:
- Multicellular fungi with mycelia (networks of branched hyphae) for absorption
- Fungal cell walls contain chitin
- Most fungi have septate hyphae with pores for cell-to-cell movement of organelles
- Coenocytic fungi lack septa and have a continuous cytoplasmic mass with multiple nuclei
Specialized Hyphae
- Some fungi have hyphae specialized for capturing prey
- Some fungi have haustoria that penetrate host tissues
- Mycorrhizal fungi deliver phosphate ions and minerals to plants
- Types of mycorrhizae: ectomycorrhizal fungi (do not penetrate root cells) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (penetrate root cells)
Characteristics of Fungi
- Fungi are eukaryotes with cells that have a nucleus and membranous organelles.
- There are approximately 100,000 named species of fungi, but scientists believe there may be around 1.5 million different species on Earth.
- The largest known organism is a fungus, covering over 2,000 acres of land and estimated to be 3,000 years old.
Nutrition and Digestion
- Fungi are heterotrophic, obtaining nutrients by breaking down and absorbing organic matter.
- They absorb nutrients through their plasma membrane, unlike animals, which ingest their food.
- Digestion occurs both outside and inside fungal cells.
Lifestyles of Fungi
- Decomposers break down organic matter.
- Parasitic fungi benefit at the expense of another organism.
- Mutualistic fungi provide benefits to their host and receive benefits in return.
Body Structure
- A fungus's body is called a mycelium, composed of thread-like filaments called hyphae.
- Hyphae are too small to be seen with the naked eye and are often hidden underground or inside dead trees.
- Visible parts of fungi, such as mushrooms, are only the reproductive structures.
Cell Walls and Chitin
- Fungal cell walls are composed of chitin, a unique characteristic among organisms.
- Chitin is also found in the exoskeletons of arthropods, such as crabs and insects.
Types of Fungi
- Septate fungi have partial divisions between their nuclei, with dividers called septa.
- Coenocytic fungi lack these dividers and have a single, large cell containing many nuclei.
- Specialized forms of fungi have modified hyphae for trapping prey or forming associations with plants.
Mycorrhizae
- Mycorrhizae is a symbiotic relationship between fungi and plant roots.
- There are two types: ectomycorrhizae, which only penetrate the spaces between cells, and endomycorrhizae, which penetrate the cell walls.
- Both types form a mutualistic relationship, with the fungus collecting water and providing it to the plant, and the plant providing sugars and amino acids to the fungus.
Fungi Overview
- The golden mushroom in Oregon is one of the oldest living organisms on earth and the most massive.
Fungal Reproduction
- Fungi can engage in both sexual and asexual reproduction.
- In sexual reproduction, fungi use pheromones to attract a mate in dark environments.
- When two fungi mate, their cytoplasm joins, and their nuclei form a dikaryon, which can last from hours to centuries.
- Eventually, the nuclei fuse, forming a zygote, the only diploid stage in the fungal life cycle.
Zygote Stage
- The zygote is the only diploid stage in the fungal life cycle.
- The zygote undergoes meiosis, halving the number of chromosomes, to form haploid spores.
Asexual Reproduction
- In asexual reproduction, mycelium produces spore-modifying structures or spore-producing structures using haploid nuclei.
- These structures produce haploid spores through mitosis.
- Examples of asexual reproduction include:
- Penicillin mold growing on orange surfaces
- Molds producing large amounts of spores
- Yeast cells reproducing through budding
- Asexual reproduction allows fungi to quickly reproduce when resources are abundant.
Yeast Cells
- Yeast cells are single-cell organisms and an exception to the rule that fungi are multicellular.
- During budding, a mature yeast cell produces an outgrowth that eventually becomes a new cell, making yeast cells briefly multicellular.
Characteristics of Basidiomycota
- Known as club fungi due to the club-like structure of the basidia
- Most edible mushrooms belong to this phylum
- Includes bioluminescing mushrooms
Basidia and Spores
- Basidia: structures where spores are found, can be singular or plural
- Gills: reproductive structures, not for respiration; found in mushrooms
- Hundreds of gills in each mushroom, containing basidia and spores
- Basidiospores created through meiosis in the basidia
Life Cycle Stages
- Hyphae: underground, haploid, and of opposite mating types
- Fusion of hyphae creates a diploid structure
- Basidio carp: reproductive body growing above ground
- Basidia on the gills produce spores through meiosis
- Four haploid, single-celled basidiospores created in each basidia
- Spores released into the environment; can grow into new hyphae under suitable conditions
Important Terms
- Basidio: refers to the reproductive body
- Carp: entire structure growing above ground
- Basidia: club-like structure where spores are found (singular or plural)
- Basidiospor: spores created in the basidia
- Meiosis: process of basidiospore creation in the basidia
Characteristics of Ascomycota
- Referred to as the sac fungi
- Spores are held in a structure called an ascus
Examples of Ascomycota
- Truffles
- Morel mushrooms
- Cup fungi
Sexual Reproduction in Ascomycota
- Hyphae (haploid) grow and touch, forming an ascocarp (diploid)
- Ascocarp grows into a visible fungus
- Meiosis occurs in an ascus within the ascocarp, producing eight ascospores in each ascus
Key Structures in Ascomycota
- Ascocarp: the reproductive structure in Ascomycota
- Ascus: the spore-making structure within the ascocarp where meiosis occurs
Life Cycle of Ascomycota
- Hyphae of opposite mating types come together and form an ascocarp
- Ascocarp grows into a visible fungus
- Meiosis occurs in the ascus, producing ascospores
- Ascospores are released into the environment
- Ascospores grow into hyphae in suitable conditions, restarting the cycle
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Description
This quiz covers the characteristics and features of fungi belonging to the phyla Chytridiomycota and Zygomycota, including their habitats, life cycles, and unique features.
