1. *Adapted from David Porter’s PowerPoint (UGA)*
FUNGI
*Adapted from David Porter’s PowerPoint (UGA)*

2. Fungi are diverse and numerous
More than 100,000 species of fungi described
Estimated 1.5x106 total number of species
Not all fungi related
Organisms in three separate kingdoms have been called ‘fungi’
Filamentous fungi, watermolds, slime molds

3. Nematoloma fasciculare Achlya racemosa
Photo H.Jaksch

4. Characteristics of Fungi
most grow as microscopic branched filaments called hyphae
Feed on organic material by secreting digestive enzymes – extracellular digestion
Fungi absorb their digested food into their hyphae
Reproduce by spores

5. Fungal spores

6. Mushrooms make millions of spores
Spore print from Psathryella

7. Fungal spores grow into filamentous mycelium

8. Fungi produce fruiting bodies from the mycelium

9. Different groups of fungi are defined by the spores that they produce.
Fungal Biodiversity
Different groups of fungi are defined by the spores that they produce.
Chytridiomycota (chytrids)
motile zoospores
We won’t cover this group instead we will look at the Deuteromycota (impefect fungi)
No sexual reproduction
Example: Penicillium notatum is a mold that frequently grows on fruit and is the source of the antibiotic penicillin.
Zygomycota (bread molds)
non-motile spores in a sporangium
Ascomycota (sac fungi and yeast)
asexual spores – conidia
Sexual spores – ascospores
Basidiomycota (club fungi and mushrooms)
Sexual spores - basidiospores

10. chytrids

11. Deuteromycota

12. Zygomycetes – bread mold

13. Ascomycetes – sac fungi
Xylaria polymorpha – dead man’s fingers

14. Basidiomycetes – club fungi
Mushrooms
Puffballs
Earthstars
Stinkhorns
Bird’s nest fungi
Rusts
Smuts

15. Fungi behave in three different ways
Decomposers
Example: forest litter decomposition, wood rot, food spoilage
Parasites
Examples: leaf spot, root rot, athlete’s foot
Symbionts
Examples: mycorrhizas, leaf endophytes, lichens

16. Human uses of Fungi Food – cheeses, mushrooms, mycoprotein
Fermentation – wine, beer
Industrial fermentation – citric acid, others
Medicine – penicillin, cyclosporin

17. Fungal abuses of humans
Pathogens – dermatophytes, systemic diseases
Agricultural pests – crop diseases
Toxins – mushrooms, molds