Kingdom Fungi
prominent members of ecosystems
 useful as model systems and industry
 some are major human pathogens
 two groups

 protists
 fungi
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
100,000 species divided into 2 groups:
 Macroscopic fungi (mushrooms, puffballs, gill
fungi)
 Microscopic fungi (molds, yeasts)
 Majority are unicellular or colonial; a few have
cellular specialization
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
Exist in two morphologies:
 Yeast – round ovoid shape, asexual reproduction
 Hyphae – long filamentous fungi or molds

Some exist in either form – dimorphic –
characteristic of some pathogenic molds
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Figure 5.15
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Figure 5.16c
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All are heterotrophic
 Majority are harmless saprobes living off
dead plants and animals
 Some are parasites, living on the tissues of
other organisms, but none are obligate

 Mycoses – fungal infections
 Growth temperature 20o-40oC

Extremely widespread distribution in many
habitats
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Most grow in loose associations or colonies
 Yeast – soft, uniform texture and appearance
 Filamentous fungi – mass of hyphae called
mycelium; cottony, hairy, or velvety texture

 Hyphae may be divided by cross walls – septate
 Vegetative hyphae – digest and absorb nutrients
 Reproductive hyphae – produce spores for
reproduction
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Isolation on specific media
 Macroscopic and microscopic observation
of:

 Asexual spore-forming structures and spores
 Hyphal type
 Colony texture and pigmentation
 Physiological characteristics
 Genetic makeup
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Primarily through spores formed on
reproductive hyphae
 Asexual reproduction – spores are formed
through budding or mitosis; conidia or
sporangiospores

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Figure 5.19
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
Sexual reproduction – spores are formed
following fusion of two different strains and
formation of sexual structure
 Zygospores, ascospores, and basidiospores

Sexual spores and spore-forming structures are
one basis for classification
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Kingdom Eumycota is subdivided into several phyla
based upon the type of sexual reproduction:
1.
Zygomycota – zygospores; sporangiospores and
some conidia
2.
Ascomycota – ascospores; conidia
3.
Basidiomycota – basidiospores; conidia
4.
Chytridomycota – flagellated spores
5.
Fungi that produce only Asexual Spores
(Imperfect)
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Figure 5.20 Formation of zygospores
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Figure 5.21 Production of ascospores
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Figure 5.22 Formation of basidiospores in a mushroom
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
Adverse impact
 Mycoses, allergies, toxin production
 Destruction of crops and food storages

Beneficial impact
 Decomposers of dead plants and animals
 Sources of antibiotics, alcohol, organic acids,
vitamins
 Used in making foods and in genetic studies
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