Fungi diversity Flashcards
What do mycelium consist of?
An interconnecting series of tubes with rigid walls containing cytoplasm, termed hyphae
What are fungi made up of?
Fruit body
Mycelium
What is the role of hyphae?
Help achieve vegetative spread and absorption of nutrients
Can absorb small molecules directly
Use extracellular enzymes to break down larger molecules so can absorb
Long and thin providing large surface area to volume ratio
In higher fungi, the tubes are divided into compartments by cross walls. What is the name for these and why is it done?
Septum/ septa
Allows differentiation of different activities to occur within the mycelium
Why do hyphae usually spread away from each other?
Optimise area explored for capture of nutrients
What do fungi eat?
Organic compounds made by plants and animals
What is saptrotrophy?
Eating dead plant and animal tissues
What is necrotrophy?
Kill food source and use before, during and after death
What is biotrophy?
Eats living tissue
If harmful to plant: parasite
If beneficial to plant: mutualist
What are some roles of saprotrophs?
Nutrient cycling
Nutrient translocation
Humus formation
Soil structure and stability
What are some types of wood decay caused by saprotrophy?
Stain
Brown rot
White rot
Soft rot
What parts of a plant are used in the brown rot process? What isn’t used?
Simple compounds, cellulose and hemicellulose are used
Lignin is not used
What parts of a plant are broken down by fungi producing white rot?
Utilises all compounds including lignin
What parts of the plant are broken down by fungi during soft rot?
Simple compounds, cellulose and hemicellulose
Lignin removal is absent or slow and incomplete
