fungi

Question 1

what do fungi produce

Answer 1

spores that are small and light and float through the air

Question 2

where does fungi develop

Answer 2

on damp surface

Question 3

describe spore process

Answer 3

After spore has landed it burst open and thread grows out
Thread grows over surface branching out
Eventually covers entire surface by a tangled mass of silvery threads called hyphae
Anchors fungi to substrate
Feeding takes place – enzymes released where external digestion
Mycelium is the whole mass of threads
After short time branches grows upwards
Tip of each branch swells up into a little knob – called spore cases
Known as sporangia inside each one hundreds of spores are formed
Eventually spore case openers and spores are released
Carried away by wind or in some cases by peoples fingers or small animals such as insects
If one of spores lands on a suitable surface a new mould would develop and cycle is repeated

Question 4

describe structure

Answer 4

Contains cytoplasm and many nuclei
Not divided up into separate cells
Vacuole in centre
Food storage in the form of glycogen granules
Threads produce digestive enzymes which break down the solid starch into liquid sugar
Then absorbed by threads
Threads always stay near the surface because need oxygen for respiration
Oxygen diffuses into them and carbon dioxide diffuses ou

Question 5

what are fungi

Answer 5

Saprotrophs and help to make things decay

Question 6

how do they reproduce

Answer 6

by means of spores – asexual
Also reproduce sexually by a process called conjugation – tips of two threads come together and their contents fuse

Question 7

diseases

Answer 7

Skin and nail infections