Fungi  Ascomycota- a taxonomic division surface, in soil or in decaying

within the kingdom fungi; those material, in a liquid, or even on

Characteristics of fungi
fungi that produce spores in a living tissue.
Key points microscopic sporangium called an
Reproduction
ascus.
 fungi are more closely related to
 Heterotrophic- organisms that use Key points
animals than plants.
complex organic compounds as
 fungi are heterotrophic; they use  new colonies of fungi can grow from
sources of energy and carbon.
complex organic compounds as the fragmentation of hyphae.
sources of energy and carbon, not Cell structure and function  during budding, a bulge forms on the
photosynthesis. side of the cell; the bud ultimately
 the rigid layers and fungal cell walls
 fungi multiply either asexually, detaches after the nucleus divides
contain complex polysaccharides
sexually, or both. mitotically.
called chitin and glucans. Chitin,
 the majority of fungi produce spores,  asexual spores are genetically
also found in the exoskeleton of
which are defined as haploid cells identical to the parent and may be
insects, gives structural strength to
that can undergo mitosis to form released either outside or within a
the cell walls of fungi.
multicellular, haploid individuals. special reproductive sac called
 the wall protects the cell from
 fungi interact with other organisms sporangium.
desiccation and predators. Fungi
by either forming beneficial or  adverse environmental conditions
have plasma membranes similar to
mutualistic associations often cause sexual reproduction in
other eukaryotes, except that the
(mycorrhizae and lichens) or by fungi.
structure is stabilized by ergosterol;
causing serious infections.  mycelium can either be homothallic
a steroid molecule that replaces the
or heterothallic when reproducing
Key terms cholesterol found in animal cell
sexually.
membranes. Most members of the
 Mycorrhiza- a symbiotic association kingdom fungi are non-motile; not  fungal sexual reproduction includes
between a fungus and the roots of a exhibiting/not capable of movement the following three stages;
vascular plant. or of being moved. plasmogamy, karyogamy, and
 Spore- a reproductive particle, gametangia.
usually a single cell, released by a 2 distinct morphological stages
Asexual reproduction
fungus, alga, or plant that may 1. Vegetative- consists of a tangle of
germinate into another. slender thread-like structures called  Mycelia fragmentation occurs
 Lichen- any of many symbiotic hyphae (singular = hypha). when a fungal mycelium separates
organisms, being associations of 2. Reproductive- can be more into pieces with each component
fungi and algae; often found as white conspicuous. The mass of hyphae is growing into a separate mycelium.
or yellow patches on old walls, etc. a mycelium. It can grow on a Somatic cells in yeast form buds.
During budding (a type pf
 cytokinesis), a bulge forms on the 1. First, during plasmogamy (literally, years ago during the late
side of the cell, the nucleus divides “marriage or union of Precambrian period.
mitotically, and the bud ultimately cytoplasm”), two haploid cells fuse,  Like protists, chytrids usually live in
detaches itself from the mother cell. leading to a dikaryotic stage where aquatic environments, but some
two haploid nuclei coexist in a single species live on land.
Types of asexual spores
cell.  Some chytrids are saprobes while
 Conidiospores are unicellular or 2. During karyogamy (“nuclear others are parasites that may be
multicellular spores that are released marriage”), the haploid nuclei fuse harmful to amphibians and other
directly from the tip or side of the to form a diploid zygote nucleus. animals.
hypha. 3. Finally, meiosis takes place in the  Chytrids reproduce both sexually and
 other asexual spores originate in the gametangia (singular = asexually, which leads to the
fragmentation of the hypha to form gametangium) organs, in which production of zoospores.
single cells that are released as gametes of different mating types are  Chytrids have chitin in their cell
spores; some of these have a thick generated. At this stage, spores are walls; one unique group also has
wall surrounding the fragment, yet disseminated into the environment. cellulose along with chitin.
others bud off the vegetative parent 5 Divisions of Fungi  Chytrids are mostly unicellular, but
cell. multicellular organisms do exist.
 Sporangiospores are produced in a 1. C h y t r i d i o m y co t a:  One of the five true phyla of fungi.
sporangium. Chytrids  Chytridiomycetes, the only class of
2. Z y g o m y c o t a: the phylum Chytridiomycota.
Sexual reproduction The Conjugated Fungi  The chytrids are the simplest ad most
sexual reproduction introduces genetic 3. A s c o m y c o t a: primitive eumycota, or true fungi.
The Sac Fungi
variation into a population of fungi. In fungi,  Like all fungi, chytrids have chitin in
sexual reproduction often occurs in response 4. B a s i d i o m y c o t a:
their cell walls, but one group of
to adverse environmental conditions. Two The Club Fungi
chytrids has both cellulose and chitin
mating types are produced: 5. D e u t e r o m y c o t a:
in the cell wall.
The Imperfect Fungi
1. Homothallic- when both mating  Most chytrids are unicellular, a few
6. G l o m e r o m y c o t a:
types are present in the same form multi-cellular organisms and
The Newly-added Fungi
mycelium, means self-fertile. hyphae, which have no septa
2. Heterothallic- mycelia require two C h y t r i d i o m y co t a: Chytrids between cells (coenocytic).
different, but compatible mycelia to  They reproduce both sexually and
Key points
reproduce sexually. asexually; the asexual spores are
 The first recognizable chytrids called diploid zoospores. Their
3 stages: appeared more than 500 million gametes are the only fungal cells
known to have a flagellum.
Key terms produce haploid spores, which will of fertilization, followed by nuclei
eventually grow into a new fusion in the asci.
 Chytridiomycete- an organism of organism.  In the ascocarp, a fruiting body,
the phylum Chytridiomycota.
thousands of asci undergo meiosis to
 Zoospores- an asexual spore of Key terms
generate a haploid ascospores ready
some algae and fungi.
 Zygomycete- an organism of the to be released to the world.
 Flagellum- a flagellum is a lash-like
phylum Zygomycota.
appendage that protrudes from the Key terms
 Karyogamy- the fusion of two
cell body of certain prokaryotic and
nuclei within a cell.  Plasmogamy- stage of sexual
eukaryotic cells.
 Zygospores- a spore formed by the reproduction joining the cytoplasm
 Coenocytic- a multinucleate cell that
union of several zoospores. of two parent mycelia without the
can result from multiple nuclear
 Conjugation- the temporary fusion fusion of nuclei.
divisions without their
of organisms, especially as part of  Ascomycota- a taxonomic division
accompanying cytokinesis.
sexual reproduction. within the kingdom fungi; those
Z y g o m y c o t a: The Conjugated Fungi fungi that produce spores in a
A s c o m y c o t a: The Sac Fungi
microscopic sporangium called an
Key points ascus.
Key points
 Most Zygomycota are saprobes,  Ascus- a sac-shaped cell present in
 Ascomycota fungi are the yeast used ascomycete fungi; it is a
while a few species are parasites.
in baking, brewing, and wine
 Zygomycota usually reproduce reproductive cell in which meiosis a
fermentation, plus delicacies such as and an additional cell division
asexually by producing
truffles and morels. produce eight spores.
sporangiospores.
 Ascomycetes are filamentous and 
 Zygomycota reproduce sexually Ascospore- a sexually-produced
produce hyphae divided by spore from the ascus of an
when environmental conditions
perforated septa. ascomycete’s fungus.
become unfavorable.
 Ascomycetes frequently reproduce 
 To reproduce sexually, two opposing Ascomycete- any fungus of the
asexually which leads to the phylum Ascomycota, characterized
mating strains must fuse or
production of conidiophores that by the production of a sac, or ascus,
conjugate, thereby sharing genetic
release haploid conidiospores. which contains non-motile spores.
content and creating zygospores.
 Two types of mating strains, a 
 The resulting diploid zygospores Conidia- asexual, non-motile spores
“male” strain which produces an of fungus, named after the Greek
remain dormant and protected by the
antheridium and a “female” strain word for dust, conia; also known as
thick coats until environmental
which develops an ascogonium, are conidiospores and mitospores.
conditions have improved.
required for sexual reproduction. 
 When conditions become favorable, Antheridia- a haploid structure or
 The antheridium and the ascogonium organ producing and containing male
zygospores undergo meiosis to
combine in plasmogamy at the time
 gametes (called antherozoids or D e u t e r o m y c o t a: The Imperfect  The classification of fungi as
sperm) present in lower plants like Fungi glomeromycota has been redefined
mosses and ferns, primitive vascular with adoption of molecular
Key points
psilotophytes, and fungi. techniques.
 Ascocarp- the sporocarp of an  Deuteromycota do not possess the
Key terms
ascomycete, typically bowl-shaped. sexual structures that are used to
classify other fungi.
B a s i d i o m y c o t a: The Club Fungi
 Most deuteromycota live on land;
Key points they form visible mycelia with a
fuzzy appearance called mold.
 The majority of edible fungi belong
 Recombination of genetic material is
to the phylum basidiomycota.
known to take place between the
 The basidiomycota includes shelf
different nuclei after some hyphae
fungus, toadstools, and smuts and
recombine.
rusts.
 Unlike most fungi, basidiomycota Key terms
reproduce sexually as opposed to
G l o m e r o m y c o t a: The Newly-added
asexually.
Fungi
 Two different mating strains are
required for the fusion of genetic  Most glomeromycetes fom a
material in the basidium which is arbuscular mycorrhizae, a type of
followed by the meiosis producing symbiotic relationship between a
haploid basidiospores. fungus while the fungus supplies
 Mycelia of different mating strains essential minerals to the plant.
combine to produce a secondary  Glomeromycota that have arbuscular
mycelium that contains haploid mycorrhizal are mostly terrestrial,
basidiospores in what is called the but can also be found in wetlands.
dikaryotic stage, where the fungi  The glomeromycetes reproduce
remain until a basidiocarp asexually by producing
(mushroom) is generated with the glomerospores and cannot survive
developing basidia on the gills under without the presence of plant roots.
its cap.  DNA analysis shows that all
glomeromycetes probably descended
Key terms
from a common ancestor 462 and
353 million years ago.