Fungi – good guys or bad guys?

The Roles of Fungi

Diverse Roles of Fungi Pathogens: cause illness & disease in plants or animals

Diverse Roles of Fungi Decomposers: break down dead material & return the organic material to the soil If all the decomposers suddenly vanished, the soil would quickly become depleted of nutrients & all life would cease to exist!

Mold in Capri Sun?! Because Capri Sun doesn’t contain preservatives, mold grows very easily!

Diverse Roles of Fungi Food Source: mushrooms, bleu cheese, production of soy sauce, bread, alcohol Soy Sauce Edible Mushrooms Truffles

Yeast & Alcoholic Fermentation Budding Yeast This is what makes bread rise. CO2 makes the “holes” in the bread, & the alcohol evaporates. Makes alcoholic beverages alcoholic. Alcohol stays in the beverage & the CO2 makes it bubble.

Diverse Roles of Fungi Some Poisonous: can cause destruction of cells & organ failure, neurological symptoms, & gastrointestinal irritation “Angel of Death” Amanita muscaria

Diverse Roles of Fungi Medicinal Purposes Penicillin: toxin produced by the mold Penicillium notatum that is widely used as an antibiotic. It kills bacteria by interfering with its ability to synthesize cell wall. bacteria penicillin

Penicillin was discovered in 1928 & was a HUGE deal!

Cyclosporine is made by the fungus Tolypocladium inflatum. Diverse Roles of Fungi Medicinal Purposes b. Cyclosporine: an immunosuppressant drug widely used in organ transplant patients to reduce the activity of the patient's immune system to decrease the risk of organ rejection. Cyclosporine is made by the fungus Tolypocladium inflatum.

Diverse Roles of Fungi 6. Mutualistic Symbiotic Relationships a. Lichens: not a single organism, but rather a combination of 2 organisms, an algae & a fungus. The algae provides energy by photosynthesis & the fungus provides water & minerals to the algae.

Lichen = Algae + Fungus Lichens often grow on rocks or in environments where few organisms can grow.

Diverse Roles of Fungi Mutualistic Symbiotic Relationships Mycorrhizae: plant roots entangled with fungal hyphae The fungus releases nutrients from the soil & aids in the absorption of water by the plant roots. The plant provides energy by photosynthesis to the fungus.

Mycorrhizae = Plant Root + Fungus About 90% of plants on Earth participate in a Mycorrhizal relationship to survive!

Before you leave… Answer the following question on a sheet of notebook paper (share!): Knowing what you know about fungi & its various roles in the environment, what do you think would happen if all of the fungi on Earth suddenly vanished? Do you think the effects would be positive or negative? Explain!