1. Characteristics of Fungi
Kingdom Fungi contains some of the largest and oldest organisms on Earth.
All fungi are eukaryotic heterotrophs
More than 100,000 species of fungi have been identified.
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Introduction to Fungi

2. Characteristics of Fungi
Multicellular fungi
Most members of the Kingdom Fungi are multicellular.
Appear similar to plants, but do not possess chloroplasts or photosynthesize
Unicellular fungi
Yeasts are a type of unicellular fungus.
Found in soils, plant surfaces, and the human body
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Introduction to Fungi

3. Major Features of Fungi
Fungi can be distinguished from plants by:
Cell wall
Hyphae
Cross walls
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Introduction to Fungi

4. Major Features of Fungi
Hyphae
Fungi are composed of long chains of cells called hyphae.
Hyphae grow at their tips and branch repeatedly to form a netlike mass called a mycelium.
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Introduction to Fungi

5. Major Features of Fungi
Cross walls
Hyphae can be divided into cells by cross walls called septa.
Septa have large pores to allow nutrients, cytoplasm, and organelles to flow between cells.
Some fungi are aseptate, meaning they have no septa.
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Introduction to Fungi

6. Nutrition in Fungi
Fungi produce enzymes to break down their food before they absorb it.
All fungi are heterotrophs, but there are three main strategies for obtaining nutrients.
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Introduction to Fungi

7. Nutrition in Fungi Saprophytic fungi
A saprobe is an organism that feeds on dead organisms or organic wastes.
Saprophytic fungi are decomposers that recycle nutrients in the environment.
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Introduction to Fungi

8. Nutrition in Fungi Parasitic fungi
Parasitic fungi absorb nutrients from living organisms
Produce specialized hyphae called haustoria, which grow into the host tissue
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Introduction to Fungi

9. Nutrition in Fungi Mutualistic fungi
Live in a mutualistic relationship with another organism
Often form a relationship with plants, trading sugars for water and nutrient uptake
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Introduction to Fungi

10. Reproduction in Fungi
Fungi are classified by their structures and patterns of reproduction.
Fungi can reproduce asexually and sexually.
Asexual reproduction in fungi includes budding, fragmentation, and spore reproduction.
Sexual reproduction involves fungi producing spores.
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Introduction to Fungi

11. Reproduction in Fungi Budding
Reproduction method of unicellular fungi such as yeast
New cell develops while attached to the parent cell
The plasma membrane pinches off to partially separate the new cell from the parent cell.
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Introduction to Fungi

12. Reproduction in Fungi Fragmentation
Asexual reproduction that occurs when the mycelium of a fungus is physically broken apart.
If a fragment lands in a location with suitable growing conditions, the hyphae will grow into a new mycelia.
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Introduction to Fungi

13. Reproduction in Fungi Spore production
Most fungi are able to reproduce sexually and asexually through spore production.
A spore is a haploid reproductive cell
Spores develop into a new haploid organism
Haploid hyphae can fuse with other hyphae to form diploid organisms.
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Introduction to Fungi

14. Reproduction in Fungi Spore production
Most fungi produce trillions of spores.
Producing such a large number of spores ensures that some portion of them will land in a suitable growing location.
Spores are small and lightweight for easy dispersal.
Protected by tough cell wall
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Introduction to Fungi

15. Reproduction in Fungi Spore production
Fruiting bodies of spore forming fungi are called sporophores.
Sporophores are specific to the species of fungus producing them
A type of primitive sporophore is a sporangium, a hyphae modified into a sac or case in which spores are produced.
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Introduction to Fungi

16. Review Essential Questions Vocabulary
What are the major characteristics of organisms in Kingdom Fungi?
How do fungi obtain nutrients and how does that include their role as decomposers?
What are the three types of asexual reproduction in fungi?
Vocabulary
chitin
hypha
mycelium
fruiting body
septum
haustorium
spore
sporangium
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Introduction to Fungi