Kingdom Fungi

Characteristics of Fungi Can be found in various places: Air, water, basements, gardens, foods, toes Can be unicellular or multicellular Unicellular: Yeasts Multicellular are made up of hyphae- thread-like filaments Have a cell wall composed of chitin (also found in the exoskeleton of some insects)

Characteristics of Fungi All Fungi are heterotrophic: specifically decomposers What does it mean to be a decomposer?

Uses of Fungi Several food uses for Fungi: Mushrooms (morels, truffles) Bread (yeast makes the bread rise) Alcohol (beer, wine)

Uses of Fungi Fungi also used in Medicines First antibiotic was derived from fungus: Penicillin Discovered by Fleming in 1928

Mutualism with Fungi Mutualism: a symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit Two types of fungal mutualism Mycorrhizae: fungus and plant roots- nutrient and water for the plant, sugar for the fungus Lichens: fungus and photosynthetic green algae; algae provides food, fungus provides water and nutrients

Fungi and Disease Athletes foot Ringworm

Reproduction in Fungi Can reproduce asexually: Can reproduce sexually: Budding: (yeasts) new individual pinches from the parent fungus Fragmentation: pieces of hyphae break off and grow into new fungus Can reproduce sexually: Spores produced by meiosis (division of sex cells) Two fungi of the same species fuse together and create the spores

4 types of Fungi Zygomycotes- ex: bread mold Ascomycotes- ex: morels Basidiomycotes- ex: mushrooms Deuteromycotes- ex: Penicillium

Zygomycotes Decomposers Have hyphae called stolons that grow horizontally Other hyphae called rhizoids anchor the mycelium of the fungi to a surface Rhizoids secrete enzymes needed for extracellular digestion Unfavorable environmental conditions will trigger the fungus to reproduce sexually by producing zygospores

Ascomycotes Largest division of fungi Also known as sac fungi because of the sac-like structures called asci (singular, ascus) in which their spores develop During asexual reproduction they produce a different form of spore in a structure called a conidiophore. The asexual spores are known as conidia Ex: blue, green, red and brown molds Some cause diseases like rot and scab in plants Some are edible like truffles and morels Yeasts are included in the sac fungi- these are important in making products like bread, wine, beer and are also used in genetic engineering because they reproduce so rapidly

Basidiomycotes Include mushrooms, puffballs, stinkhorns, bird’s nest fungi, rusts, smuts and bracket fungi Have club shaped hyphae called basidia that produce spores called basidiospores

Deuteromycotes Known as the “imperfect fungi” No known sexual stage in their life cycle Only reproduce asexually Ex: Penicillium- used to make the antibiotic penicillin Other imperfect fungi include the ones used to make foods such as soy-sauce, blue cheese and to produce citric acid