Fungi

Phylogeny of Fungi In this phylogenetic tree, which are more closely related to fungi – plants or animals?

Characteristics of Fungi Eukaryotic Heterotrophs Cell wall – chitin Filamentous – hyphae No Tissues – no muscle tissue/nerve tissue Sessile Multicellular (exception – yeast)

Heterotrophs Fungi digesting tree Hyphae grow between feet and start to digest tissue Anthrobotrys’ hyphae make little rings that will trap Nematods. As Nematods swim through, the rings grab hold of the Nematod and trap it and digest it from the outside in! (an Animal eating fungi!)

Basic Diagram of a Fungus Fruiting Body Mycelium Hyphae – threadlike filaments Mycelium - tangled mass of filaments (hyphae) which increase the surface area thereby increasing the absorption of digested matter

Saprobes 1)Fungi can’t digest foods within their bodies. To overcome this, fungi release digestive enzymes into the immediate environment 2)These enzymes break down dead organic matter. 3)The fungus then absorbs digested food through their cell walls.

Life Cycle of a Fungus Most reproduce asexually and sexually by spores Spore: a cell that has a haploid number of chromosomes Also reproduce sexually by the conjugation of hyphae to form a “zygospore”

Uses of Fungi Keep the forest floor clear Food for humans (bread, cheese, wine) Medicines

10 Fantastic Fungi Superpowers Watch the following video. Identify 3 “superpowers” of Fungi Fungi Video