Types of Fungal Spores

Types of Spores and Their Formation

• Budding produces yeast spores, as seen in Cryptococcus.
• Flat-ended asexual spores form when hyphal cells separate from each other.
• Conidia are a type of spore formed at the tips of supporting hyphae and are exogenous in nature.
• The process of fragmentation occurs when hyphal cells break apart, resulting in single cells.

Fungal Groups and Their Spore Types

• Zygomycetes include the formation of zygospores and sporangiospores.
• Ascomycetes include the teleomorphic form of Ajellomyces and produce ascospores.

Spores and Fungal Processes

• The process initiating with a weakening and out-pouching of the yeast cell wall is known as budding.
• A sporangiospore is formed and contained within a sporangium.
• The reduction division during sexual reproduction results in the production of haploid spores.

Asexual Reproduction and Speciation

• Asexual reproduction via spores is crucial for speciation.
• The method of breaking into fragments during reproduction is known as fragmentation.
• The residual defect at the budding site in yeast is termed a scar.

Biochemical Features

• The primary carbohydrate storage in fungal cells is glycogen.
• The pigment derived from Candida pulcherrima is called carotenoid, commonly found in fungal cells.

Cellular Functions and Mycoses

• The plasma membrane in fungal cells serves as a protective barrier and regulates the uptake of nutrients.
• Malassezia furfur is the fungus responsible for causing Pityriasis versicolor (also known as tinea versicolor).