Kingdom Fungi Pima Medical Institute Veterinary Technician Program VTT 200 General Sciences—Biology

Kingdom Fungi—General Notes More advanced than Protists because of their mode of nutrition and the fact that most are multi-cellular (yeast is the lone exception— yeasts are unicellular fungi) All are Eukaryotic and capable of reproducing asexually; some fungi (certain yeasts) can also reproduce sexually

Kingdom Fungi—General Notes Many are symbiotic—living in a communal situation with another organism Some are parasitic—feeding off a host All are heterotrophic—taking in carbon based nutrients from their environment Some are decomposers—breaking down dead organisms and recycling the material All have cell walls made of chitin, not cellulose like plants

Structures of Fungi Hyphae (singular Hypha) Thread-like filaments consisting of many cells protruding from the main body Each cell may contain more than one nucleus Septate hyphae--visible walls of chitin between the cells Aseptate hyphae have no visible walls between the cells so cytoplasm and nutrients can freely move between cells Mycelium is a tangled mass of hyphae that appears like a cottony mass—it can grow down through a food source and secrete enzymes to help digest the source

Structures of Fungi Spores-Method of asexual reproduction of molds Hyphae form a sporing body at the end of the filament Fungi are divided up by their method of reproduction and nutrition

Phyla of Kingdom Fungi The 4 phyla of Kingdom Fungi are divided because of their reproductive life cycles This means in Fungi we will classify by three levels down of the Taxonomy chain: Domain Eukaryote Kingdom Fungi Phylum

Phylum Zygomycota Reproduce by asexually producing spores which are commonly seen as a “flower like” structure on the end of the hypha Hypha is commonly aseptate Spore is common Sporangium EX: Common bread mold (Genus Rhizopus) Veterinary EX: (Genus Aspergillis) whose spores can be inhaled and are deadly

Phylum Ascomycota These fungi are commonly known as “Sac Fungi” because they produce a tough sac which contain spores which are budded off Most are considered YEAST Unicellular with asexual or sexual reproduction, more prolific asexually EX: Baker’s yeast Vet EX: Many genus Malassezia-common ear yeast Candida-vaginal yeast Cocciodiodes- Valley Fever Cryptococcus- see handout

Phylum Basidomycota Includes common mushrooms, toadstools and bracket fungi growing from trees in forest Visible part is the fruiting body with spores contained in gills under the cap, the gills rupture and release the spores Mycelium and hyphae are underground Commonly involved in decomposing dead organisms No veterinary pathogens; however, if ingested may be toxic

Phylum Deuteromycota Spores are known as “Conidiospores” and may be macro- or micro- in size Spores may extend off end of hypha like penicillin or protrude from hypha like as “leaf-like” conidiospores like ringworm EX: Penicillium (important antibiotic) or Tinea (agent of Athlete’s Foot) Vet EX: Genuses Microsporum and Trichophyton (common veterinary dermatophytes-ringworm)

Pathogenic Fungi Refer to Handout for molds and yeasts implicated in human and veterinary diseases