5.4 The Fungi

Question 1

Fungi are divided into what two groups?

Answer 1

macroscopic (mushrooms, puffballs, gill fungi) and microscopic (molds, yeasts)

Question 2

Fungi are unicellular or multicellular?

Answer 2

Either, majority are unicellular

Question 3

Do fungi have a cell wall?

Answer 3

Yes, made of cellulose or chitin

Question 4

Are fungi mobile?

Answer 4

Yes through flagella

Question 5

What are the two morphological forms of fungi

Answer 5

Yeasts and hyphae

Question 6

Properties of yeast (2)

Answer 6

round, oval shape, reproduces asexually through swelling of buds on the surface

Question 7

Properties of hyphae

Answer 7

long, threadlike cells in the bodies of fungi or molds

Question 8

What is a pseudohypha

Answer 8

a chain of yeasts, but not a true hypha

Question 9

What are dimorphic fungi

Answer 9

fungi that can take either yeast or hyphae form depending on the growth conditions

Question 10

What is a growth characteristic of pathogenic fungi

Answer 10

being dimorphic and changing due to the external environment

Question 11

Fungi can be _________ and obtain their food through __________, or be ____________ and ___________

Answer 11

heterotrophic, saprobes; autotrophs, parasitic

Question 12

Do fungi require a living host

Answer 12

No

Question 13

Fungi habitat? (2)

Answer 13

Poor or adverse places, or places with a high salt or sugar content

Question 14

What are fungi that cause disease in humans?

Answer 14

Mycoses

Question 15

What other type of pathogens are fungi, other than mycoses?

Answer 15

Plant pathogens, toxins from this fungi can cause disease

Question 16

What is the mycelium?

Answer 16

The mass of hyphae that make up the body of a mold.

Question 17

Describe the internal organization of fungi

Answer 17

Can contain septa, which can either allow or prevent communication

Question 18

How are hyphae classified?

Answer 18

According to function

Question 19

Functions of vegetative hyphae (2)

Answer 19

growth of the mass on a substrate to digest and absorb nutrients; in fungal colonies they help with reproduction and develop spores that come form a branched vegetative mycelium

Question 20

How do fungi reproduce?

Answer 20

Sexually and asexually

Question 21

Describe sexual reproduction of fungi

Answer 21

Occurs with fusion of fertile hyphae and often results in a fungi that has variations

Question 22

What are the two subtypes of asexual reproduction in fungi?

Answer 22

Sporangiospores and Condiospores

Question 23

Describe asexual sporangiospore reproduction

Answer 23

a sporangium develops a sporangiospore which is enclosed in a sac but is released when the sporangium ruptures

Question 24

Describe asexual condiospore reproduction

Answer 24

free spores that are not enclosed will develop through pinching off the tip of a hypha

Question 25

How are fungi identified?

Answer 25

Asexual fungi are usually identified first, relies on many physical characteristics

Question 26

What is the fungi’s effect on the envroinment

Answer 26

Many species are pathogenic to field plants, and destroy about 40% of the yearly fruit crop

Question 27

How many fungal species cause human disease

Answer 27

around 300

Question 28

What are the three types of fungal infections recognized by the CDC?

Answer 28

Community-acquired infections, hospital-associated infections, and opportunistic infections

Question 29

Give the source and examples of a community-acquired infection (2)

Answer 29

source is environmental species, examples are histoplasmosis and coccidioidomycosis (valley fever)

Question 30

Give the source and an example of hospital-associated infections (2)

Answer 30

source are pathogens in clinical settings, an example are the various types of fungi to contaminate health care facilities

Question 31

Give the source and examples of opportunistic infections (2)

Answer 31

the source is from an environmental species or from our normal fungal biota, examples are mucormycosis and candidacies

Question 32

Other effects than just fungal infections in humans?

Answer 32

Cell walls give off a toxin to cause allergies, and toxins produced by molds can induce neurological issues

Question 33

Beneficial effects of fungi for humans? (4)

Answer 33

Help plants absorb water and nutrients, used biochemically to make antibiotics, used to flavor food, used to make beer and cause bread to rise