Fungi Flashcards
Why are fungi important?
- Fungal infections are often trivial – athlete’s foot or dandruff
- They can also be far more serious
- Fungal infections kill more people worldwide than malaria or breast cancer (n=1.5 million p.a.)
How many types of fungi cause disease in humans?
600
What are candida?
fungi which cause bloodstream infections (yeast)
What is Aspergillus?
Fungi which cause aspergillosis (mould)
What are Cryptococcus?
Fungi which cause a specific type of meningitis (yeast)
What are Pneumocystis?
Fungi which cause lung infections and pneumonia (yeast)
Where do fungi usually live?
- Normally inhabitants of the soil, dead plant material and water
How do fungi take in nutrients?
Absorptive nutrition
How does fungi reproduce?
Asexual reproduction- they reproduce by spores
What are features of moulds?
-Non-photosynthetic, plant-like organisms
-Multicellular, filamentous organisms
-Network of filaments are called hyphaea
-Rigid cell walls:
-Chitin (N-acetyl glucosamine polymer)
-Other CHO polymers can also be found
What are hypha?
-“Tube” containing many different nuclei with shared cytoplasmic components
What’s the difference between septate and non-septate hypha?
-Septate – divide into compartments
-Non-septate -Growth at end of tube by extension of the terminal cell
Where are spores sometimes produced?
Spores may be produced within a sac called a sporangium. The spores within the sporangium are called sporangiospores.
What are two ways yeast reproduce?
-Asexual reproduction by ‘budding’
-Asexual reproduction by binary fission
What are the cell walls of yeast made of?
Chitin or other sugar polymers
Are yeast unicellular or multicellular?
unicellular
What deleterious activities does fungi cause?
-Plasmopara viticola – mildew of grapes
-Grain infections – ergot toxin, etc
-Rusts, blights, mildews – garden plants
-Dry rot – homes, barns, boat docks
-Animal infections – fish, dogs, cats
-Human infections – thrush, Candida
-Food spoilage – e.g. bread mold Mucor
What benefits can fungi do?
-Food production
-CO2
-Enzyme production
-Antibiotic production
-Natural symbionts
-Element recycling C,N,S etc.
Name two beneficial relationships to the plants by fungi
○ Extra phosphate and other nutrients made available through fungal decomposition of compost
○ Fungi have a high absorptive capacity for water which can be transferred to the plant
Describe the relevance of fungi in lichens
*Symbiotic relationship of fungi and algae (saprophyte + photosynthesizer)
*Often found in harsh tundra conditions
How does fungus obtain carbohydrate?
From the plant- glucose and sucrose
