Fungi Flashcards
you’re pretty fly for a
Fungi
What is a fungus?
Chemo-organotrophic
eukaryote
that forms spores
What are the differences between plant cells and fungal cells?
Fungal cells do not contain chlorophyll - they do not photosynthesise
Fungal cell walls contain ergosterol (this is important in antimicrobial chemo topic) whereas plant cell walls do not
What is the cell wall of fungal cells made from?
Chitin or glucan
Which are polysaccharides
What are different species of fungi generally classed based on?
Morphology (shape)
What are the 3 groups of fungi?
(Not shapes)
(BAZ)
Basidiomycetes - mushrooms
Ascomycetes - yeasts
Zygomycetes - mould
Fungi produce two different spores, what are these?
Sexual spore and asexual spore
Candida is an important group of fungi that is pathogenic to humans.
What type of fungi is it?
Ascomycete
yeast
What is the shape/structure of basidiomycetes? (mushroom)
Bullet shape
Basidiospores are outside the cell, attached via sterigmata
2 sections: Basidium + Hypha
Sections separated by the septum
What is the shape/structure of ascomycetes? (Yeasts)
Looks a bit like a spaceship
Ascospores contain inside the cell, in an Ascus (sac)
Describe the structure/shape of zygomycetes (moulds).
Looks like a TIE fighter from star wars (H shape)
Rough wall
One or more zygospores contained in the centre
Describe how reproduction of yeast cells (ascomycetes) through budding works…
Bud begins to form off original yeast cell
Bud grows
Once bud is the same size as the mother cell, it splits off as a new yeast cell
Generally, what time frame does budding repeat over for yeast cells?
Usually takes place every 2 hours
Why do many fungi species thrive on the skin and nails?
Dermatophyes
Abundance of keratin
Can utilise it as a food source
What is the sexual spore of ascomycetes?
Ascospores
What is the asexual spore of zygomycetes?
Sporangiospores
What is the sexual spore of basidiomycetes?
Basidiospores
What is the sexual spore of zygomycetes?
Zygospore
What is the asexual spore of ascomycetes?
Conidium
What is the asexual spore of basidiomycetes?
Conidium
What are important pathogenic species of zygomycetes (moulds)
Mucor
Rhizopus
Trichophyton, epidermophyton and microsporum are responsible for causing what?
Athletes foot
These are all types of ascomycetes - yeasts
What is Candida responsible for causing?
Thrush
What clinically important species of basidiomycetes are there?
Cryptococcus - this causes Cryptococcus neoformans
Malassezia - causes Pityriasis versicolor
