Fungi Flashcards
Are fungi prokaryotic or eukaryotic?
Eukaryotic
What word describes how fungi gain their nutrition?
Saprophytic chemoheterotrophs - absorb nutrients from decaying matter - like moisture & sugars
What are the 3 types of fungi?
Yeasts (unicellular), moulds (filamentous, multicellular, grow in tubular structure called hyphae & contain multiple nuclei), dimorphic (Yeast & mould depending on environment)
What is the fungal cell wall made out of (outside>inside)?
Mannoproteins, beta-glucans (specific to fungi, chitin (polymer of n-acetylglucosamine)
What other organisms contain chitin?
Insects
What is found in the fungal cell membrane?
Phospholipid bilayer with ergosterol (precursor to cholesterol)
What is the “stalk” of moulds called?
Conidiophore
What produce conidia?
Phialides - apical budding process
What are the spores of moulds called?
Conidia - can form germ tube
What is the largest organism in the world?
honey mushroom - Armillaria ostoyae - 9.6km squared - 400,00kg - 5,500-11,000 years old
What fungi is used to make LSD?
Psilocybe semilanceata
How are fungi used in food development?
Fermentation - soy sauce(lactic acid), beer(ethanol & CO2), wine(ethanol), Bread(CO2)
Cheeses
Mushrooms
How are fungi used in medicine development?
Antibiotics, steroids, enzymes, citric acid
What fungus caused the potato blight in 1845?
Phytophthora - warm wet summer
Explain phytophthora life cycle?
Spores infect tubules, infected seedlings develop to form tubules, sporangium from infected tissue forms spore, spores released to infect plant tissue, spores infect leaves & form lesions > repeat
What is a fungal disease called?
Mycoses
Examples of European mycoses?
Dermatophytosis/Tinea/RIngworm
Sporotrichosis
Candidiasis
Crytptococcus neoformans
Aspergillus fumigatus
Examples of North American mycoses?
Blastomycosis
Coccidiodomycosis
Cryptococcus gattii
Histoplasmosis
What fungus causes dandruff?
malassezia sp. (yeast)
What causes tinea capitis?
Microsporum canis (yeast)
Explain dermatophytoses/ Tinea/ Ringworm?
Mould like fungus affecting skin, hair, & nails - skin lesions, onychomycosis (under nails), jock itch, crotch rot, athletes foot
What are some fungi that cause Tinea?
Trichophyton, microsporum, epidermophyton
What causes sporotrichosis?
Sporothrix schenkii
Explain sporotrichosis?
Subcutaneous mycosis - dimorphic fungus (sporothrix schenkii - mould in environment) - bark of trees, shrubs, & garden plants - enter through break in skin - spreads via lymph system
What cause candidiasis/ thrush?
Candida species (Candida albicans)
Explain candidiasis?
Overgrowth of candida (part of native microbiota) - antibiotic use or IC
1)Oral - thrush - infants & IC - after antibitoics, steroids, chemotherapy, & disease (HIV & lymphoma - white/yellow lines
2)Cutaneous - nappy rash - moist warm areas (axilla, groin) & nails
3)Vaginal Thrush - white-yellow lines - irritation, itch, white discharges
Where is Cryptococcus neoformans found?
pigeon faeces
Explain Cryptococcus neoformans?
yeast - dimorphic (outdoor) - unicellular (indoor) - respiratory tract (IC) & meningitis (T-cell deficiency)
Explain Aspergillus fumigatus?
Spore-forming moulds, ubiquitous, opportunistic - inhale spores - pulmonary diseases (forms fungus balls in scars =aspergilloma) - infects wounds & burns
What causes histoplasmosis?
Histoplasma capsulatum
Explain Histoplasmosis?
Inhale microconidia from bird/bat faeces -found in Ohio, Mississippi, St.Lawerence river valleys & Mexico - pulmonary caviating, dissemintion, CNS, eyes
What causes Blastomycosis?
Blastomyces dermatitidis - broad bunds in Mississippi valley & East Coast
What is zombie ant fungus?
Ophiocardyceps unilateralis
What is slime mould?
NOT mould - unicellular multi-nucleated eukaryote - able to learn - Physarum polycephalum
What is Cryptococcus gatti?
1999 - Vancouver & NW USA - tree associated (C. neoformans found here as well)
Explain Coccidiodomycosis?
40°N & 40°S California, Arizona, Mexico< Central & South America (dessert conditions - Burning Man festival) - inhale arthroconidia from soil - atypical pneumonia, rash, arthralgia, cavities, meningitis
