Questions and Answers
How do fungi acquire nutrients?
Fungi are heterotrophs that digest their food while it is still in the environment by secreting exoenzymes.
What structure have fungi evolved to provide extensive surface area and rapid growth?
Mycelium
How do the cell walls of fungi differ from the cell walls of plants?
Fungal cell walls contain chitin, while plant cell walls are made of cellulose.
How do fungi contribute to an ecosystem?
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Give some examples of how fungi are important to humans.
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What is a hypha?
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What is a mycelium?
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What is chitin?
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What does ingestion mean in the context of fungi?
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What type of symbiotic relationship does mycorrhizae have with plant roots?
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What key feature separates each phyla of fungi from the common ancestor's line?
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What is lichen?
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Study Notes
Fungi Nutrition
- Fungi as heterotrophs cannot produce their own food and acquire nutrients by digesting organic matter externally.
- Exoenzymes are secreted into the environment to break down complex molecules into smaller compounds for absorption.
Mycelium Structure
- Fungi develop hyphae, forming a mycelium that maximizes surface area to volume ratio for efficient feeding.
- Mycelium grows rapidly, facilitated by the movement of proteins through cytoplasmic streaming towards the tips of hyphae.
Cell Wall Composition
- Fungal cell walls contain chitin, a flexible nitrogen-containing polysaccharide, differing from plant cell walls made of cellulose.
Ecosystem Contribution
- Fungi recycle nutrients back into ecosystems, aiding in soil fertility and supporting plant growth.
- They form symbiotic relationships with various organisms, contributing to ecological balance.
Importance to Humans
- Fungi act as decomposers, help in nutrient recycling, and improve agricultural productivity through mycorrhizal relationships.
- Many fungi are edible, essential for producing alcoholic beverages and baking, and have significant medical and biotechnological applications.
Fungal Structure Terminology
- Hypha (plural: hyphae) refers to the filament that comprises the body of a fungus.
- Mycelium describes the interconnected network of hyphae within a fungus.
- Chitin is an amino sugar structural polysaccharide found in fungal cell walls and arthropod exoskeletons.
Nutritional Modes
- Ingestion describes the mode of nutrition where organisms consume other organisms or organic matter in whole or part.
Mycorrhizal Relationships
- Mycorrhizae enable mutual benefit; fungi supply essential minerals to plants, while plants provide organic nutrients to fungi.
Fungal Phyla Characteristics
- Chytrids are distinguished by flagellated spores (zoospores).
- Zygomycetes feature horizontal hyphae for nutrient absorption.
- Glomeromycetes specifically form arbuscular mycorrhizae.
- Ascomycetes produce sexual spores in saclike structures (asci).
- Basidiomycetes are defined by the presence of a basidium, where transient diploid stages occur.
Lichen Definition
- Lichens represent a mutualistic association between a fungus and a photosynthetic partner (alga or cyanobacterium).
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Description
Test your knowledge on how fungi acquire nutrients and their structural adaptations. This quiz focuses on the unique mode of nutrition in fungi and how they digest and absorb food. Understand the role of exoenzymes and the implications of their heterotrophic nature.
