fungi Flashcards
what species is fungi most closely related to?
animals
what are some characteristics of fungi’s common ancestor? (3)
aquatic
single celled
flagellated produce
what is a basic characteristic of fungi?
they are chemo-heterotrophs
what do they use for energy?
chemicals
what enzyme to fungi produce that is secreted outside of the cell?
exoenzyme
is a fungi’s digestion external or internal?
external
what do fungi’s enzymes break down? what do these molecules turn into?
fungi breaks down large organic molecules into smaller ones
smaller organic molecules are absorbed through what structure?
cell membrane
what do fungi eat?
other living organisms and plant tissue
simple organic molecules ________ by the body of fungus
absorbed
what do decomposer fungi do?
break down and absorb non-living matter
what do parasites do?
absorb nutrients from living cell hosts
what do mutualists do?
absorb nutrients from hosts, but give something back
fungi have cell walls made of?
chitin
what are the bodies of fungi composed of?
hyphae
what are hyphae?
thin filaments that spread throughout the environment
what do hyphae seek and feed on?
they seek on nutrients and feed on organic matter
what is a collection of hyphae called?
mycelium
what does the mycelium act as?
a feeding network
what kind of structure do hyphae have?
filamentous structure
a fungi’s filamentous structure provides them with a large?
surface area: volume ratio
why is fungi having a large surface are: volume ratio advantageous?
exoenzymes have a larger surface area to absorb nutrients back in
do hyphae grow length or width wise?
length
do fungi reproduce spores sexually or asexually?
both!
when fungi produce spores, are they diploid or haploid?
haploid
what processes (mitosis, meiosis, etc) are fungal spores produced by?
both mitosis and meiosis
________ (structure) makes spores through _________ (process)
zygote; meiosis
what form of reproduction will fungi do to be more efficient?
asexual reproduction
what type of reproduction will fungi use to increase genetic diversity?
sexual reproduction
what are the five phylum of fungi?
chytridiomycota, zygomycota, glomeromycota, ascomycota, basidiomycota
where does the phylum chytridiomycota inhabit?
mostly freshwater, some in soil, estuaries (transition between streams and rivers), or live inside the guts of animals
what do free living chytrids digest on?
dead organic matter
what do parasitic chytrids digest on?
tissues of the living hosts
chytrids are implicated in the?
global decline of amphibians
where do the phylum zygomycota inhabit?
soil or organic remains
morphologically, phylum zygomycota are rather?
monotonous
what does it mean to be monotonous?
mostly feed on organic matter in the environment
what do we typically recognize phylum zygomycota as (where would we see this fungus in day-to-day life)?
black bread mold or mold on strawberries
in the phylum glomeromycota, what type of relationship do all species engage in and with what organism?
mutualistic relationship with the roots of plants
are glomeros chemotrophic or heterotrophic?
heterotrophic! they need to eat something
what kind of plant species is most frequently in a mutualistic relationship with fungus?
vascular plants
any species of fungus can form a ________________ relationship with fungus
mycorrhizal
what is the largest phylum of fungi?
phylum ascomycota
phylum ascomycota organisms live a variety of lifestyles, what do these consist of?
pathogens, decomposers, mutualists
are phylum ascomycota unicellular or multicellular?
both!
unicellular fungus are referred to as?
yeast
what are phylum ascomycota defining feature?
production of sexually produced spores in sac-like asci
what is an asci?
the fruit or flower of a mushroom
what is phylum basidiomycota sexual structure?
the classic white grocery store mushroom and toadstool
what function/lifestyle do most phylum basidiomycota live?
mostly decomposers of dead plant matter (especially lignin)
what is the pedestal of the mushroom called?
basidium
the cap of the mushroom contains thin vertical sheets of tissue called?
gills
the gills of the mushroom are lined with millions of?
basidia (spore production)
how are these spores dispersed?
by wind or water
what are molds?
rapidly growing, asexually producing fungi
what kinds of fungi produce mold?
any phylum
mold is just the ________ the fungi is in
state
what does mold often produce?
fuzzy growth of hyphae on the surface of organic substrates
what phylum’s can have a yeast stage?
all of them
where is yeast typically found?
moist environments including animal bodies
how does yeast reproduce?
asexually by pinching of bud cells from the parents cell
(binary fission)
what do yeast do when their food source begins to run out?
they start to make hyphae and become multicellular
what does the availability of nutrients determine?
if the organism lives as fungi or yeast
what is the role of decomposers?
break down complex organic compounds into inorganic material forms
are decomposers chemotrophic or heterotrophic?
heterotrophic: eat dead things
decomposers use nutrient and carbon cycling to?
release carbon and nutrints from dead tissues
most soil-dwelling fungi make their living by?
decomposing plant matter
fungi is more important than bacteria, as it is one of the few organisms that can break down what material?
lignin (wood)
what is lichen?
symbiotic mixture of fungal hyphae and a photosynthetic partner
what organism provides the fungi with carbon or organic nitrogen?
green algae (chlorophyta) or cyanobacteria
what does the fungi provide the chlorophyta or cyanobacteria in return?
a place to grow. protection, water and mineral retention
what is the mycorrhizae?
a mutualistic symbioses and combination of plant roots and fungi
in plant-parasitic fungi, what is produced due to fungus digesting plant tissue?
necroses: ‘scabs’ and ‘cankers’
how do fungi cause wilting?
when the hyphae blocks the xylem
fungi the coat leaves and fruits are called?
powdery mildews
how do some fungi parasitize invertebrates?
they produce spores inside the host or elaborate fruiting bodies that grow and kill insects and arachnids
what does a fungi do when acting like a predator?
nematode traps: they make rings like a lasso around the nematode that kills it
what is mycosis?
being infected with a fungus
what is a cutaneous fungal infection? what shape does it make on the skin?
the digestion or keratin and dead tissue that makes a ring on the outer layer of skin
what is a localized (has not spread everywhere) subcutaneous fungal infection?
infection due to wounds
what is a systemic fungal infection?
the hyphae or yeast spread throughout the entire host body
