Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Unit 6 Microorganisms & Fungi Ch. 21 Fungi What are Fungi? Fungi are eukaryotic heterotrophs that have cell walls Chitin - makes up cell walls, a complex carb. also found in the external skeletons of insects Structure & Function of Fungi Hyphae - thin filaments that make up multicellular fungi Structure & Function of Fungi The bodies of multicellular fungi are composed of many hyphae tangled together into a thick mass called a mycelium Mycelium - absorbs food, has a large surface area to come in contact with the food source Structure & Function of Fungi Fruiting body - a reproductive structure growing from the mycelium in the soil beneath it Reproduction in Fungi Most fungi reproduce both asexually & sexually Sporangia - structure where spores are produced Classification of Fungi The kingdom Fungi has over 100,000 species They are classified according to their structure & method of reproduction The 4 main groups of fungi are: common molds, sac fungi, club fungi, & the imperfect fungi Classification of Fungi The Common Molds grow on meat, cheese, & bread There are more than 30,000 species of sac fungi, making it the largest phylum of the kingdom Fungi Classification of Fungi Club fungi gets its name from a specialized reproductive structure that resembles a club Classification of Fungi The imperfect fungi are so named because our understanding of their life cycles may not be perfect A sexual phase has never been observed in their life cycles Ecology of Fungi All fungi are heterotrophs Many are saprobes - organisms that obtain food from decaying organic matter Ecology of Fungi Fungi as Decomposers: Fungi play an essential role in maintaining equilibrium in nearly every ecosystem, where they recycle nutrients by breaking down the bodies & wastes of other organisms Ecology of Fungi Fungi as Parasites: Parasitic fungi cause serious plant & animal diseases A few cause diseases in humans Ecology of Fungi Symbiotic Relationships: Some fungi form symbiotic relationships in which both partners benefit 2 such mutualistic associations, lichens & mycorrhizae, are essential to many ecosystems Ecology of Fungi Symbiotic Relationships: Lichens - mutualistic relationship between a fungus & an alga or a cyanobacterium, or both Ecology of Fungi Symbiotic Relationships: Mycorrhizae - associations of plant roots & fungi