Spores
Example of one type of fruiting body (ascocarp).
Mass of hyphae, a mycelium
Fungi produce spores.
What is a spore? __________________
________________________________
Is a spore haploid or diploid? ________
An extensive mat of hyphae is called a
___________________________
The typical body of a fungus is in the shape of long filaments called
___________________________ like a what on a plant?
_________________________
Hyphae branch and aggregate to
A fruiting body on a fungus is form a pattern of interconnecting filaments collectively called
__________________________
Draw and label a representative of Phylum
Chytridiomycota in the adjacent space.
What is the phylogentic significance of looking at
Allomyces ? ________________________________
How is Allomyces similar to a protist? How to a fungus? ___________________________________
What is the economic importance of Allomyces ?
__________________________________________
Comparative Fungi Lab 1

Rhizopus (breadmold) mycelium growing in
Petri plate.
What is the white material growing on the surface of this agar plate?
______________________________________
What is the ploidy level of a hypa?
______________________________________
What are the dark structures?
______________________________________
Rhizopus zygosporangium (stained)
What is a zygosporangium and why is it important?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Before a zygosporangium can produce spores, what type of cell division must occur?
_____________________________________________
Rhizopus asexual sporangia at different stages of development
What is a sporangium? ___________________
______________________________________
What is the difference between a sexual and asexual spore? __________________________
Quiet and germinating spores of Rhizopus
What is a spore? ______________________________
____________________________________________
What is the ploidy level of a spore?
____________________________________________
In each of the above photos, find and label a mycelium, hypha, and a zygosporangium.
Comparative Fungi Lab 2

Every fall in temperate climates, massive amounts of leaves are shed. Using the above photos as a visual, explain the decomposer role of fungi in ecosystems. ___________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
To what Phylum does this organism belong
_________________________________________
Does this organism produce spores in a) asexual reproduction b) sexual reproduction c) both d)
1.
Carefully open the bag of bread and observe the bread mold then using a hand lens study it closely.(do NOT inhale the spores)
2.
Identify, draw, and label the parts of the bread mold in space below. neither
In this organism sexual reproduction takes place in the: A. ovary B. zygospore C. ascus D. basidiocarp
T/F Sexual reproduction only occurs in the most ideal climates
How many nuclei are you expecting to observe in each cell? _________________________________
Describe the hyphae of this organism A) coenocytic
The spores from two different sporangia shown here and dikaryotic B) coenocytic with haplid nuclei C) are genetically same? ________________________ septate with haploid nuclei D) septate with diploid nuclei E) coenocytic with dipoid nuclei F) septate
Where are the asexual spores in this organism produced? _________________________________ and dikaryotic
In the sexual reproduction of Zygomycota, two types of mating gametangia fuse to produce (A) rhizoids; (B) hyphae; (C) zygospore; (D) asexual spore.
If bread is left exposed to air under moist conditions, mold grows on it. Where does the mold come from?
___________________________________________________________________________________
Comparative Fungi Lab 3

Mold on Orange
T/F Penicillium, mildew and mold belong to the
Phylum Ascomycota.
Name one other type of fungus that is also found in this phylum. spores?_________________________________
_________________________________________
Penicillium at 200X (stained)
What name is given to these specialized asexual
Ascocarp (stained)
What is an ascocarp? ___________________________
What would you expect to find inside an ascocarp?
_____________________________________________
What is the ploidy level of an ascocarp? ____________
High magnification of ascocarp (stained)
Mildew hyphae on leaf surface, Lo mag
Comparative Fungi Lab
Mildew hyphae on leaf surface, Hi mag
4

What is function of haustoria? (A) absorb water from soil; (B) produce asexual spores; (C) absorb nutrients from the host leaf; (D) participate sexual reproduction.
This fungus is a parasite that lives on the leaves of this lilac. The term that plant pathologists us to denote a fungus that is parasitically associated with the leaves of a plant is _________________________________.
Describe how a mildew obtains nutrients from its host. __________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
How do mildews spread from one lilac leaf to another? __________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
What is the ploidy level of the hyphae of a mildew? ____________________________________________
( You should review the life cycle of Sordaria, an Ascomocota fungus)
Peziza at 400X. Note closely packed asci each containing ascospores (stained).
How many ascospores are in an ascus? ________________
What type of cell divisions occur in
The sac like reproductive structures of this fungus are the development of an ascospore?
_______________ called______________________. _________________________
True / False The spores released by this structure are always formed by meiosis.
Which structure below is unique to this organism's phylum? A. basiocarp B. zygospore C. ascus.
What is the ploidy level of the spores and hyphae shown here?
___________________________
___________________________
In cup fungi, a diploid zygote divides to produce 8 ascospores by
(A) mitosis and meiosis; (B) mitosis; (C) meiosis; (D) fertilization..
Select the sequence of events that produced the red-stained cells
A) karyogamy-diploid cell-mitosismeiosis-ascospores B) diploid cellkaryogamy-meiosis-ascospores C)
Karyogamy-diploid cell-meiosismitosis-ascospores D) Karyogamydiploid cells-mitosis-ascospores.
Sordaria.
Fungi produce spores. Are they haploid or diploid? ___________
What is a spore? _____________
___________________________
What are these spores called?
___________________________
Do they occur during the asexual or sexual phase? _____________
What phylum does this organism belong to? Why?
_____________
___________________________
Describe what is meant by a
"dikaryon" and where this stage fits within the life cycle of an
Ascomycete fungus. __________
___________________________
___________________________
Comparative Fungi Lab 5

Name the structures produced by asexual reproduction in this organism.
___________________________________________________________
This organism is only diploid at one stage in its life cycle. Which stage is that? _______________________________________________________
What reproductive structure is featured here? _______________________
This organism is only diploid at one stage in its life cycle. Which stage is that? _______________________________________________________
Describe what is meant by a "dikaryon" and where this stage fits within the life cycle of an Ascomycete fungus.____________________________
____________________________________________________________
1.
Obtain a clean microscope slide from your teacher.
2.
Place a few specimens of Dry Yeast on the slide; add some water and then a coverslip.
3.
Find the yeast specimens first on scanning power, then low, and finally high-power.
Sketch and label the structures of the yeast in the adjacent space.
Observe some penicillium on an orange. Sketch your observations. Based on your observations, how are these fungi different that the others you have observed in this lab?_________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Comparative Fungi Lab 6

Mushroom (basidiocarp) showing gills under cap.
What division does this fungus belong to?
A. Chytridiomycota; B. Zygomycota; C.
Ascomycota; D. Basidiomycota.
What microscopic structures would you expect to find on the gill surfaces? ____________________
The hyphae in a mushroom are (A) diploid; (B) dikaryotic; (C) monokaryotic.
What ploidy level do most of the tissues in this mushroom exhibit? ________________________
What is a basidiocarp?______________________
________________________________________
1.
Take your mushroom and using the hand lens or the dissecting microscope study it closely.
2.
Identify, draw, and label these parts of the mushroom: gills, cap, basidiocarp, and stalk (page 507).
3.
Now take the mushroom and cut it lengthwise through the cap and stalk. a. Examine the cut areas with the hand lens or the dissecting microscope. b. Identify, draw, and label the hyphae part of the mushroom.
I f surface of gill is observed at high magnification Basidiospores are attached to basidia by small
Comparative Fungi Lab 7

basidia are observed.
The structures on this organism that produce the spores are the _____________________________
Each basidium produces how many spores? _____
Are spores haploid or diploid? _______________
Are basidiospores produced by mitosis or meiosis?
_________________________________________ cytoplasmic extensions,
Gills of oyster mushroom.
Bracket fungi
This structure was produced from:
A) haploid hypae B) dikaryotic hyphae C) diploid hyphae D) none of the above
What type of nuclear division gave rise to this structure?__________________________________
Bracket fungus upper surface
Bracket fungus on left was cut in half to reveal inner structure.
1.
Define plamogamy and karyogamy. Diagram a general life cycle of a Kingdom Fungi member and show where these two processes occur in the life cycle. Clearly indicate the ploidy levels of the stages.
2.
Define the terms coenocytic and dikaryon.
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Comparative Fungi Lab 8

3.
Compare and contrast the importance of asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction in the Divisions
Ascomycota and
Basidiomycota.
4.
What are the distinguishing characteristics of a fungus that are not shared with other organisms?
_________________________________________________________________________________
5.
If you were given a fungus, how would you go about determining if it was a member of one of the four divisions studied in this lab topic?
_________________________________________________________________________________
6.
Is a fungal spore a seed? Why do you say so?
_________________________________________________________________________________
7.
How are spores from fungi similar to those from seedless plants? ____________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
8.
What is the role of spores in the life cycle of fungi? _______________________________________
9.
What is the role of fungi in the ecosystem? ______________________________________________
10.
What does the cell wall of a fungal hyphae consist of? _____________________________________
11.
List 2 reasons why the fungi group does not belong to the Plant Kingdom. _____________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
12.
Fungi have adopted a saprophytic lifestyle. What is meant by saprophytic? ____________________
13.
What are the different types of associations that fungi have with other organisms? Name one example of each. __________________________________________________________________
14.
Why do most plants grow slower in sterile soil (void of bacteria and fungi) than non-sterile soil?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Comparative Fungi Lab 9

http://www.biology.iastate.edu/Courses/211L/Fungi/FungINDX.htm
Comparative Fungi Lab 10