1. The fungus amongus

2. FungI Eukaryotes – uni or multicellular
Most are composed of filamentous (tube-like strands called hypha (singular) or hyphae (plural)
mycelium = aggregate of hyphae
multicellular, such as mycelial cords, rhizomorphs, and fruit bodies (mushrooms)

3. Humans and Fungi Beneficial Effects of Fungi Harmful Effects of Fungi
Decomposition - nutrient and carbon recycling
Biosynthetic factories. Can be used to produce drugs, antibiotics, alcohol, acids, food (e.g., fermented products, mushrooms)
Model organisms for biochemical and genetic studies
Food
Long historical use of psychoactive fungi for spiritual purposes; modern use as entheogens and treatment of psychiatric disorders and addiction
Harmful Effects of Fungi
Destruction of food, lumber, paper, and cloth
Animal and human diseases/infections, allergies
Toxins produced by poisonous mushrooms and within food (e.g., grain, cheese, etc.)
Plant diseases

4. Fungal Characteristics
Cell wall composed of cellulose and/or chitin
Food storage - generally in the form of lipids and glycogen
Eukaryotes - true nucleus and other organelles present
All fungi require water and oxygen (no obligate anaerobes).
Fungi grow in almost every habitat imaginable, as long as there is some type of organic matter present
Number of described species - between 69,000 to 100,000 (estimated 1.5 million species total)

5. Fungal Infections Mycoses – fungal infections
Chytrid fungus – Chytridomycota = fungal group of unusual, very primitive fungi that may grow as single cells or colonies of cells
Most Chytrids do not form hyphae or yeast-like cells; often have flagellated spores called “zoospores”
Typically free-living saprobes found in soil, water, decaying organic material
Some are parasites of plants, animals, and other microbes
Not known to cause human infections, but responsible to wiping out huge populations of amphibians around the world
Ringworm – dermatophytosis – human skin fungal infection
Some human fungal diseases may be systemic – histoplasmosis

6. Fungal lifestyles Heterotrophy - 'other food'
Saprophytes or saprobes - feed on dead tissues or organic waste (decomposers)
Symbionts - mutually beneficial relationships between a fungus and another organism
Parasites - feeding on living tissue of a host. 
Parasites that cause disease are called pathogens.

7. Fungal interactions

8. Fungal decomposition Fungi get carbon from organic sources
Hyphal tips release enzymes
Enzymatic breakdown of substrate
Products diffuse back into hyphae
Hyphae: tubular, hard cell wall of chitin
Multinucleate
Grow at tips

9. Hyphal growth from spore

11. Mycorrhizae “Fungus roots” Mutualism between: Several kinds
Fungus (nutrient & water uptake for plant)
Plant (carbohydrate for fungus)
Several kinds
Zygomycota – hyphae invade root cells
Ascomycota & Basidiomycota hyphae invade
root but don’t penetrate cells
Extremely important ecological role of fungi!

12. Lichen Mutualism between Fungus – structure and
Alga or cyanobacterium – provides food
Three main types of lichens:
Crustose lichens form flat crusty plates 
Foliose lichens are leafy in appearance, although
lobed or branched structures are not true leaves
Fruticose lichens are even more finely branched,
may hang down from branches or
grow up from ground

13. Lichens - nature’s biological monitors of pollution and air quality
Some species more sensitive to pollution
Which species are present can indicate air quality
Most resistant species can also be analyzed for pollutants, including bioaccumulation of heavy metals and radioactive isotopes

14. Fungi applications
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15. philosophy of science and evolution primer
“Neuroscientists have traced subjective feelings of pleasure to endorphins and enkephalins, two groups of neuropeptides produced by the brain. The pleasure associated with seeing beauty, including scientific ‘truth,’ may have come about during the course of evolution, just as love and biophilia – the pleasure we take in the company of others and living creatures – provoke us to seek out mates and the natural environments that have been most conductive to our survival… there may be no better measure of ‘truth’ than that which works – that which helps us survive.” – Margulis and Sagan