Fungal infections Flashcards
What kind of cells are fungi
Fungi (like plants, animals, and protozoans) are eukaryotic, meaning that they have a complex internal structure with internal membranes and nucleic material organized into chromosomes
What are the common properties of all fungi
Fungi all share several properties:
- They depend on preformed nutrients (are not photosynthetic)
- Nutrients are taken up by absorption only (not phagocytosis)
- The cell wall of fungi is made of chitin (unlike plants or bacteria) and other polymers
- The cell membrane contains ergosterol, unlike the cell membranes of animal cells which contain cholesterol
- Can grow by extension of filaments (without undergoing sexual reporduction)
How fungi interact with other organisms
Fungi tend to interact with other organisms, either by forming symbiotic relationship or acting as pathogens
Many of the fungal species of medical imporatnce are saprophytic
- These fungi are widespread in the environment and are involved in the decomposition of organic material
How can fungi present
Most fungi are filamentous (form multicellular hyphae, they are also known as “molds”)
Others grow as either yeasts or hyphae depending on the circumstances (e.g., Cryptococcus neoformans)
- It exists as a yeast in infected tissue but can be induced to grow as a filamentous organism in the laboratory
