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Fungi

Fungi are a diverse group of organisms that play many important roles. They are second only to insects in terms of species diversity. Fungi are important decomposers and are also used for food and in producing industrial products like antibiotics. They have complex life cycles involving both sexual and asexual reproduction through spores. Their hyphal structure allows them to absorb nutrients from their environment.

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27 views

Fungi

Fungi are a diverse group of organisms that play many important roles. They are second only to insects in terms of species diversity. Fungi are important decomposers and are also used for food and in producing industrial products like antibiotics. They have complex life cycles involving both sexual and asexual reproduction through spores. Their hyphal structure allows them to absorb nutrients from their environment.

Uploaded by

Meong Meong
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Why study fungi?

 Fungi are among the most diverse organisms on Earth, and


are considered only second to the Insects in species diversity.
 fungi are important to human life on many levels:
- as a decomposer
- as a food
- produce many industrial product such as antibiotics,
enzymes, ethanol, etc
 Mycology is the study of fungi
The Characteristics of Fungi

 Eukaryotes - true nucleus and other organelles present


 Non-Photosynthetic organisms
 Cell wall present, composed of cellulose and/or chitin.
 Food storage - generally in the form of lipids and glycogen.
 Reproduce by sexually and asexually spores
 Fungi grow in almost every habitat as long as there is some
type of organic matter present and the environment is not
too extreme.
Molds
• The fungal thallus consists of hyphae; a mass
of hyphae is a mycelium.

Figure 12.2
Yeasts
• Unicellular fungi
• Fission yeasts divide symmetrically
• Budding yeasts divide asymmetrically
Vegetative Growth

Figure 12.1
Nutrition and Fungal Lifestyles
• Fungi are heterotrophs (can’t make own food)
• Fungi digest food outside their bodies and absorb their
nutrients through their cell walls (secrete into their
surroundings exoenzymes that break down complex
molecules and then absorb the remaining smaller
compounds)

• Fungi exhibit diverse lifestyles


– Decomposers
– Parasites
– Mutualistic symbionts
Three groups of fungi :
1. Yeasts (uniceluller)
"microorganisms"
2. Molds (multicellular)
3. Mushrooms (have fruiting body)
YEASTS
MOLDS
MUSHROOMS
 The morphology of multicellular fungi enhances
their ability to absorb nutrients.
 Fungi consist of mycelia, networks of branched
hyphae adapted for absorption.
 Septate fungi: hyphae divided into cells by septa, with
pores allowing cell-to-cell movement of organelles.
 Coenocytic fungi: lack septa.
 Some unique fungi have specialized hyphae called
haustoria that allow them to penetrate the tissues of
their host.

Cell wall
Cell wall
Nuclei
Pore

Septum Nuclei

(a) Septate hypha (b) Coenocytic hypha


Fungal Dimorphism
• Pathogenic dimorphic fungi are yeastlike at 37°C and
moldlike at 25°C
 Fungi propagate themselves:
By producing vast numbers of spores, either sexually or
asexually
The generalized life cycle of fungi
Key

Haploid (n) Heterokaryotic


Heterokaryotic stage
(unfused nuclei from PLASMOGAMY
different parents) (fusion of cytoplasm)
Diploid (2n)
KARYOGAMY
Spore-producing (fusion of nuclei)
structures
SEXUAL Zygote
REPRODUCTION
Spores
ASEXUAL Mycelium
REPRODUCTION

MEIOSIS
GERMINATION GERMINATION
Spore-producing
structures
Spores
Asexual Reproduction
• Conidia or conidiospores
Asexual Reproduction
• Arthroconidia
Asexual Reproduction
• Blastoconidia
Asexual Reproduction
• Chlamydoconidia

Figure 12.5d
Asexual Reproduction
• Sporangiospores
Sexual Reproduction
• Three phases:
– Plasmogamy: Haploid donor cell nucleus (+)
penetrates cytoplasm of recipient cell (–)
– Karyogamy: + and – nuclei fuse
– Meiosis: Diploid nucleus produces haploid
nuclei (sexual spores)
Sexual Spores
• Zygospore: Fusion of haploid cells produces
one zygospore

Figure 12.6
Sexual Spores
• Ascospore: Formed in a sac (ascus).
Sexual Spores
• Basidiospore: Formed externally on a pedestal
(basidium)
• Systematists now recognize Fungi and Animalia as
sister kingdoms
– Because fungi and animals are more closely related to each
other than they are to plants or other eukaryotes

Classification of Fungi
Zygomycota
• Conjugation fungi
• Coenocytic
• Produce sporangiospores and zygospores
– Rhizopus, Mucor (opportunistic, systemic
mycoses)
The Life Cycle of a Zygomycete
Ascomycota
• Sac fungi
• Septate
• Teleomorphic fungi
– Produce sexual and asexual spores
• Ascospores and frequently conidiospores
– Aspergillus (opportunistic, systemic mycosis)
– Blastomyces dermatitidis, Histoplasma
capsulatum (systemic mycoses)
– Microsporum, Trichophyton (cutaneous mycoses)
The Life Cycle of an Ascomycete
Basidiomycota
• Club fungi
• Septate
• Produce basidiospores and sometimes
conidiospores
– Cryptococcus neoformans (systemic mycosis)
The Life Cycle of a Basidiomycete
Economic Effects of Fungi
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Bread, wine, HBV
vaccine
• Trichoderma: Cellulase
• Taxomyces: Taxol
• Entomophaga: Biocontrol
• Paecilomyces: Kills termites
Lichens
• Mutualistic combination of an alga (or
cyanobacterium) and fungus
• Alga produces and secretes carbohydrates;
fungus provides holdfast
Three Types of Lichens
Lichen Thallus

Economic Effects of Lichens


• Dyes
• Antimicrobial (Usnea)
• Litmus
• Some unique fungi
– Have specialized hyphae that allow them to
penetrate the tissues of their host

Hyphae 25 m
Nematode

(a) Hyphae adapted for trapping and killing prey

Fungal hypha Plant


cell
wall

Plant cell
Plant cell
Haustorium plasma
membrane

(b) Haustoria

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