Chapter 20 Fungi

How are mushrooms, yeast, and athlete’s foot similar? They are all fungi

Kingdom-Fungi Found in air, water, soil, on food Includes organisms like yeast, mold, mushrooms, skin fungi Feed by decomposing Most grow in moist environment (some can handle the cold like molds)

Fungi are similar to plants: 1. Have cell wall (made of chitin) 2. Most are attached to soil Not a plant because feed by: Decomposers- they absorb nutrients through the surface of the hyphae -they release enzymes that breakdown organic matter -they may live in or on other organisms

Fungi structure: Most are multicellular (except yeast) Made of units called hyphae (thread-like filaments that develop from spores) Hyphae form networks of filaments

Fungi advantages and disadvantages Advantages: –Great decomposers –Recycles nutrients Disadvantages: –Takes over spoiled food –Takes over moist areas –Cause irritations like ringworm, athlete’s foot, nail fungus

Fungi reproduction May have sexual and asexual reproduction Asexual by fragmentation, budding Spores are produced sexually (via meiosis) 1. Fragmentation-pieces of hypha break off and grow new pieces 2. Budding-mitosis occurs and a new individual pinches off from parent (ex. Yeast) 3. Spores- most fungi produce spores-hypha emerges from it like seeds

Advantages of spores: 1. Have case that protects them-prevent from drying out 2. Exist in a large number increasing survival chances (ex. Puffball release trillions of spores) 3. small and lightweight- disperse easy by wind

Fungi classification: Kingdom-Fungi Phyla: 1. Zygomycotes- bread mold 2. Ascomycota- many are cup shaped Ex. Yeast 3. Basidiomycota- mushrooms, stinkhorns, bird’s nest fungi, rust fungi