Why did the algae and the fungus get married? Kingdom Fungi Why did the algae and the fungus get married?

They took a lichen to each other!

Let’s recall.... Three Domains Four Kingdoms within Eukarya Archaea, Eubacteria, Eukarya Four Kingdoms within Eukarya Plants Animals Protists Fungi

Major Characteristics of Fungi... Eukaryotic Majority multicellular (few unicellular - yeasts) Cell walls contain chitin, nitrogen-containing polysaccharide (plant cell walls are made of cellulose; chitin is also found in insect exoskeletons) Heterotrophic Non-motile (although a few have motile phases) No distinct tissues (like in humans – skin, muscle...)

Structure - Filamentous Bodies are made up of a network of fine filaments called HYPHAE (singular hypha) In a mushroom (specialized reproductive part of the fungus) is a densely packed mass of hyphae MYCELIUM –mass of hyphae

Above Ground and Below Ground

Aseptate or Septate Many types of fungi have hyphae that are divided into cells by cross walls called SEPTA Each individual cell has one or more nuclei Some lack septa and each hypha appears to be one large, multinucleate cell

“Fairy Rings” Mycelium grows outwards, evenly, consuming nutrients along the way It dies at the centre and sends up spore-producing bodies at the edges This phenomenon occurs in areas containing uniform quantities of nutrients, like lawns and fields

How Fungi Feed Heterotrophic - “digest then ingest”= enzymes secreted to break down nutrients, then absorbed - extracellular digestion Three General Categories: Saprophytes - host is dead Parasites – host is alive and harmed Symbiotic (mutualists)– host is alive and benefits

Saprophytes recyclers or decomposers

Parasites – cause diseases such as athlete’s foot, ring worm, rusts, smuts, Dutch Elm disease, Cordyceps fungus

Symbiotic Fungi Mutualistically beneficial relationship with plants or animals Lichens –associations of fungi and algae Mycorrhiza- association of fungi with plant roots Most trees have mycorrhiza Hyphae grow around plant root and often grow right into the root cells Hyphae absorb minerals and release them into the roots and may also help maintain water and air flow around the roots The fungus in turn absorbs nutrients from the plant Trees lacking mycorrhiza do not grow as well as those in the same environment with mycorrhiza

Many fungi are useful to us... Baking and brewing (yeasts) Antibiotics (e.g., penicillin, cephalosporin) and other drugs (e.g. Cyclosporin) Many organic acids are commercially produced with fungi (e.g. Citric acid in Coke is produced by an Aspergillus) Some cheeses (e.g., Blue cheese uses Penicillium roqueforti or P. glaucum)

Reproduction ASEXUAL SEXUAL Fragmentation – pieces of hyphae are broken off and grow into new mycelia Asexual spores (produced by mitosis) SEXUAL Sexual spores (produced by meiosis) **spores are an adaptation to terrestrial life (structures to prevent desiccation and produced in huge numbers e.g. One puffball can produce 1 trillion spores)

Reproduction

cap stalk Underside of cap Gills – lined with spores  spore print Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: (photo lower half) mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; (photo upper half) cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print. A 3.5 cm glass slide placed in middle allows for examination of spore characteristics under a microscope. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spore_print

Classifying Fungi Life cycle and pattern of sexual reproduction are key features used to classify fungi into various groups Five important phyla: Chytridiomycota Zygomycota Glomeromycota Ascomycota Basidiomycota

5 Important Phyla A B C G Z Source of all photos: tolweb.org

Ascomycota Cup (sac) fungi Antibiotics (Penicillium sp.)

Basidiomycota club fungi mushrooms Photo source: http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/2011/woller_ryan/classification.htm

A and B are more closely related “higher fungi” because they are more organized A B C G Z Source of all photos: tolweb.org

Chytridiomycota aquatic microscopic flagellated cell stage Chytrid Sporangium by David Patterson and Aimlee Laderman, 2001

Glomeromycota Mycorrhiza – symbiotic relationship between plant root systems and fungi Picture source: http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/2011/lehrer_brit/interactions.htm

Zygomycota sporangia bread mold Picture Source: http://www4.nau.edu

Phylogeny http://www.rci.rutgers.edu

One day, one trail, so many fungi!

Time for you to work ... Read Section 12.4 pg. 450-458 You need to remember the 5 important phyla (describe and give an example of each) Why are fungi important? How do they live?