Fungi pp pt 4 Flashcards
Phylum Ascomycota (sac fungi) Can cause plant diseases such as:
powdery mildews; leaf curl fungi;
ergot of rye; chestnut blight and Dutch elm disease
Phylum Ascomycota (sac fungi) Can cause human diseases such as: 4
Aspergillus infections
Candida infections
Ergotism
Ringworm athletes foot (Tinea pedis)
Ergot Infection of Rye, is caused by
Claviceps purpurea
Long-term consumption of rye or rye production infected with ergot, cause
ergotism or ergot-poisoning in humans
Ergotism symptoms:
a range of gastrointestinal poisoning symptions, e.g. nausea and diarrhea are early symptoms of exposure
More advanced symptoms are to the central nervous system such as spasms and convulsion
Late stage ergotism is characterized by edematous and gangrenous limbs and fatal collapse of body function.
Yeasts can be both
beneficial or harmful to humans
this yeast is major function in the fermentation industry: e.g. beer & baked products
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
S. cerevisiae is also used in
genetic engineering experiments
the yeast that causes fungal infections
Candida albicans
Vaginal yeast infection results in
inflammation, itching, and discharge
Oral thrush is a Candida infection of the mouth, common in
newborns and AIDS patients.
Like yeast, mold can be
beneficial or harmful to humans
This is a group of green molds used to produce soy sauce by fermentation of soybeans
Aspergillus
Aspergillus flavus in moldy peanut can expose consumers to the
carcinogen Aflatoxin.
This mold, blue molds, now classified as Talaromyces, is the source of the familiar antibiotic penicillin
Penicillium
