What are Fungi?

Most fungi share three important characteristics: They are eukaryotes, use spores to reproduce, and are heterotrophs that feed in a similar way.

Cell Structure

The structures that make up the bodies of multicellular fungi are called hyphae.

gills

cap

stalk

How Do Fungi Obtain Food?

The chemicals that ooze from the hyphae of a fungus into a food source break down the food.

Athlete's foot is caused by a fungus that feeds on chemicals in a person's skin.

                                                                                                    

Yeasts differ from most other fungi because they are unicellular. 

Reproduction in Fungi

Fungi produce spores in structures called fruiting bodies.

Asexual Reproduction

When there is adequate moisture and food, most fungi reproduce asexually by growing fruiting bodies that release thousands of spores.

Asexual Reproduction

Unicellular yeast cells undergo a form of asexual reproduction called budding.

See where the bud came off?

Sexual Reproduction

If growing conditions are unfavorable, the hyphae may grow together to exchange genetic material.

Why is this advantageous?

Classification of Fungi

Fungi are classified into groups depending on the shape of their spore-producing structures.

There are four groups:

Threadlike Fungi

Rhizopus sporangia X 40

Sac Fungi

morels

morels

Cyathus olla bird's nest fungi

 

Club Fungi

Hypholoma rasciculare

Hygrocybe collucera

Puffballs - Lycoperdon perlatum

Imperfect Fungi

Penicillium Conidia X 400

penicillin

Fungi and the Living World

Fungi that decompose dead organisms return important nutrients to the soil.CARRION-DECOMPOSING FUNGUS

Bakers add yeast to bread dough to make it rise. Yeast cells use the sugar in the dough for food and produce carbon dioxide gas as they feed.

The antibiotic penicillin resulted from the work of Alexander Fleming, who noticed that bacteria did not grow near a spot of mold in a petri dish.

A Lichen consists

of a Fungus and

an Alga that live together in a mutualistic relationship.

A + F = L