Fungi Flashcards
Classify an organism as a fungus
They are hetertrophs. They are mostly multicellular. They are made up of threads called hyphae. Hyphae combine in masses to form mycelium. There walls are made of a carbohydrate called chitin. They are eukaryotic.
Define the term hypha
Is a tube or filament in a fungus
Define the term mycelium
Is a visible mass of hyphae
Describe the nutrition in fungi and outline the role of Saprophytes and parasites in nature
They are hetertrophs. Large number of fungi are Saprophytes living and feeding on dead material e.g mould or mushrooms. The role of Saprophytes in nature is to act a decomposers, as they digest dead material minerals are released and recycled.
Some fungi are parasitic, they absorb there food from a living host. Obligate parasite- live on live hosts but do not normally kill them e.g athletes foot. Facultative parasites- kill the host and feed on the remains e.g cordiceps fungus
Distinguish between edible and poisonous fungi and give an example of each
Distinguish between features such as the cap, spore type, stalk , colour, size and smell.
Poisonous fungi- death cap
Edible- standard field mishrooms or morels
State the economic importance of fungi . Give two beneficial and two harmful examples
Beneficial: yeast can be used to make bread and alcohol. E.g beer & wine. Some fungi are a source of nutrition e.g button mushrooms.
Harmful: attack crops & cause major financial losses e.g potatoes blight
What is rhizopus
Rhizopus is a type of fungus, commonly called black bread mould or pin mould.
It consists of long, thin threads called hyphae.
The hyphae have no cross-walls and are multi-nucleate.
The nuclei are all haploid (n).
What are the three main types of hyphae in rhizopus and their functions
Stolons-hyphae that grow across the surface of the substrate, allowing the fungus to spread.
Rhizoids-hyphae that grow down into the substrate. Provide anchorage and absorb digested food.
Sporangiophores - hyphae that grow vertically and produce the sporangium for reproduction.
Describe rhizopus mode of nutrition
Rhizopus is a saprophytic heterotroph that lives on starchy or sugary foods.
Rhizopus releases enzymes from the hyphae into the substrate (bread).
Enzymes (amylase) break down the starch into soluble maltose.
The maltose is absorbed back into the hyphae by diffusion and can be used for respiration.
