The Fungi Kingdom
Mycology - the study of fungi
fungi - plural
fungus - singular
4 Main Characteristics of Fungi
1) fungi are eukaryotic
•they have a nuclei & mitochondria
2) they are heterotrophs
•they depend on other organisms for food
3) they are multicellular
4) they cannot move on their own
The Fungi Kingdom
4 Reasons Fungi Are Different From Plants
1) fungi lack chlorophyll
2) fungi are not photosynthetic
•cannot produce their own food
•most are saprophytes
•some are parasites
3) they never reproduce by seeds
4) most fungi have cell walls made
of chitin…
•Plant cell walls are made of
cellulose
Saprophytefeeds on
dead/decaying
organisms
The Fungi Kingdom
Parts of fungi:
Hyphae – network of thin thread-like structures
(filaments) that form the “body” of
fungus
hypha - singular
hyphae - plural
• hyphae contain cytoplasm
• hyphae grow and branch until they cover and
digest the food source (upon which the fungi
is growing).
The Fungi Kingdom
Mycelium - a mass of hyphae
mycelia - plural
•The mycelium is usually hidden in the soil, in
wood, or another food source
•Some hyphae may be divided by septa.
•A mycelium may fill
a single ant, or cover
many acres
The Fungi Kingdom
What are we looking at when we see a…
fungus-among-us?
The part of the
fungus that we see is
only the “fruit” of the
organism
The ‘living’ body
of the fungus is a
mycelium
The Fungi Kingdom
Fungi Reproduction:
1. Most fungi reproduce both sexually and
asexually.
2. Most fungi reproduce by using spores (asexual)
3. Fungi spores are microscopic.
EX: Mushrooms & puffballs release large clouds
of spores. Each cloud contains millions of spores
Reproduction is classified according to:
1) the way they form the spores
2) the shape of the structure in which spores
are made
Asexual reproduction – production of various
types of spores
*Sporangiophores- upright stalk with an
enclosed sac ( bread mold)
*Conidia - upright stalk with no enclosed sac
(penicillin)
*Fragmentation – hyphae dry out and
shatter releasing individual cells that act
like spores (athlete’s foot)
*Budding – part of a yeast cell pinches itself
off to produce small offspring
Sexual reproduction
*Hyphae of different mating types fuse
and give rise to a specialized structure
that produces spores (diploid)
*Most fungi are haploid throughout most
of their life cycle
When environmental conditions are favorable,
asexual reproduction occurs rapidly. When
unfavorable conditions stress the organism,
sexual reproduction occurs and the offspring
have an increased likelihood that they will be
better suited for the environment.
3 main Phyla
The Fungi Kingdom
1. Phylum Zygomycota (Common molds)
Sporangium fungi reproduces by spores in the
sporangia.
•Sporangia- structures found on the tips of
hyphae that make spores
Spraying with blue
•Ex: Bread Mold
•Bread mold
produces spores in
sporangia that stick
up above the bread
vitriol
• The hyphae that anchor the mold to
the surface are called rhizoids. Digestive
enzymes produced by rhizoids break down
the bread to release nutrients.
• Other hyphae, called stolons grow
across the surface of the bread
(horizontally).
2. Phylum Basidiomycota – Club Fungi
• Gets name from specialized reproduction structure resembling a
club, called basidium – found on the underside of mushroom cap in
the gills
• One mushroom may produce 1 billion spores
• Some are edible, some are toxic
• Examples: Mushrooms, puffballs, rusts, and
shelf fungi
• Most elaborate life cycle of all the fungi
The spore bearing structure
of basidiomycetes is an aboveground structure called a
basidiocarp. Mushrooms are
basidiocarps. The basidiocarp
consists of a stem called a stalk
and a flattened top known as a cap.
The fruiting bodies of a basidiomycete form a ring in a
meadow, commonly called "fairy ring.” The body of this
fungus, its mycelium, is underground and grows outward in
a circle. As it grows, the mycelium depletes the soil of
nitrogen, causing the mycelia to grow away from the
center, leading to the "fairy ring" of fruiting bodies where
there is adequate soil nitrogen.
Examples of Basidiomycetes
Puffballs
Examples of Basidiomycetes
Shelf or bracket fungi
Examples of Basidiomycetes
Rusts
Examples of Basidiomycetes
Earth stars
Death cap
Toadstool
Basidiomycetes usually reproduce sexually
by means of a fruiting body, also called a
mushroom.
Use the book, page 531, Figure 26-5
Draw and label the figure. List the steps 1-6
from the paragraph above.
3. Phylum Ascomycota (sac fungi)
Ascomycetes produce 2 kinds of spores:
1. Asexual spores called conidia.
2. Ascospores are produced by sexual
reproduction. Ascospores develop inside
sacs called ascus.
Ex. Yeast, powdery mildews, truffles, and
morels
*Saccharomycetes cerecisiae is the scientific
name for a yeast that is used to make bread
dough rise for bakers. It ferments grapes
into wine and grain into beer.
Phylum Ascomycota (sac fungi)
*Yeast ferment sugar to ethanol and carbon
dioxide.
*Yeast is also used in the commercial
production of some vitamins and
some human therapeutic proteins.
*The fungal partner in most lichens is an
ascomycete.
Lichen – symbiotic
relationship between
algae and fungi
Truffle- a delicacy
Morel- a
delicacy
Penicillium is a genus of ascomycete fungi
where we get the antibiotic penicillin.
Phylum Ascomycota (sac fungi)
Yeast
Sir Alexander FlemmingAccidently discovered penicillin.
Yeast cells reproduce asexually through budding.
Lichens
Lichens
Where do lichens belong in the
classification of living organisms?
* Lichens are dual organisms, so they are
difficult to place in a classification.
* They represent symbiotic (mutualistic)
relationships between fungi and green algae,
fungi and cyanobacteria, or fungi and both.
* The fungus is the dominant physical
component of the lichen, and lichens are
usually classified with the fungi.
* Nevertheless, the association appears to
have originated through fungi parasitizing
algae and/or cyanobacteria.
Special Characteristics of Lichens
-they are pioneers
-they produce acid to dissolve rocks
-they don’t tolerate sulphur-dioxide in the air
-as they die massively in case of air pollution,
they are indicators of it.
Importance of Fungi
1. Many of them live in mutualism with the roots of trees.
These are called mycorrhiza. The fungus absorbs nitrogen, phosphate,
and other ions for the roots. The fungus receives sugars from the
plant.
2. They can be decomposers.
3. They can cause diseases to plants, to animals, and even humans.
4. They can be edible or poisonous.
5. They can be useful for the distilling and pharmaceutical
industries.
6. They help in the process of making breads, cheeses,
and soy products like miso, tofu, tempeh, and soy sauces.