Characteristics of Fungi
Name:_______________________________________
Complete each statement by underlining the correct term in the brackets.
1. Fungi are [heterotrophic / autotrophic].
2. Fungal cells have cell walls made of [chitin / cellulose].
Read each question, and write your answer in the space provided.
3. What is distinctive about the body structure of fungi?
4. What is an imperfect fungus?
5. What are hyphae?
6. What is a mycelium?
7. How do fungi absorb nutrients?
Complete each statement by underlining the correct term or phrase in the brackets.
8. Fungi reproduce by releasing [spores / gametes] in reproductive structures at the tips of
hyphae.
9. Fungal spores are [diploid / haploid].
10. In fungi, most spores are formed by mitosis during [asexual reproduction / sexual
reproduction].
11. In sexual reproduction, hyphae belonging to two different [sexes / mating types] fuse together.
12. Yeasts usually reproduce by [conjugation / budding].
Section: Groups of Fungi
Read each question, and write your answer in the space provided.
13. What are chytrids? How are they different from other fungi?
14. What familiar fungus is considered a zygote fungus? Name one characteristic of a zygote
fungus.
15. What are the distinctive characteristics of sac fungi?
16. Where does meiosis occur in the life cycles of Ascomycota and Zygomycota?
17. Mushrooms are a member of which phylum? What are the distinctive characteristics of this
phylum?
18. In the space provided, write the letter of the description that best matches the term.
_____ zygosporangia
_____ ascus
_____ rhizoids
_____ lichen
_____ mycorrhiza
_____ mushroom
_____ gill
a. saclike structure in which haploid spores are formed
b. mycelia that anchor the fungus in a food source
c. structure in which spores are produced in Basidiomycota
d. association between fungi and a photosynthetic partner
e. example of a basidiocarp
f. association between fungi and plant roots
g. thick-walled sexual structures
Read each question, and write your answer in the space provided.
19. What benefit do fungi derive from mycorrhizae?
20. What benefit do plants derive from mycorrhizae?
21. What does the fungus provide the photosynthetic partner in a lichen?
Section: Fungi and Humans
Complete each statement by underlining the correct term or phrase in the brackets.
22. [Yeasts / Zygote fungi] are used in industry for baking, brewing, and winemaking.
23. Black bread mold produces [penicillin / cortisone], which is a drug used to treat skin rashes
and to reduce joint swelling.
Read each question, and write your answer in the space provided.
24. How do fungi play a role in reducing the use of harmful pesticides?
25. List three important roles of fungi in Earth’s ecosystems.
26. In what two ways do fungi cause disease?
27. Why can fungal infections be difficult to cure in humans?
28. In the space provided, write the letter of the description that best matches the term or phrase.
_____ ringworm
_____ histoplasmosis
_____ aflatoxin
_____ penicillin
_____ dermatophytes
_____ hepatitis B vaccine
_____ blue cheese
_____ smut
a. antibiotic produced by a fungus
b. group of fungi that infect skin, hair, and nails
c. flavor and color come from fungi
d. fungal disease of corn crops
e. disease caused by a dermatophyte
f. fungal toxin that can cause liver cancer
g. lung infection caused by a fungus
h. made by genetically engineered yeast cells