Intro

Question 1

Are fungi auto or heterotrophic?

Answer 1

heterotrophic

Question 2

What organelle do fungi lack that make them incapable of being autotrophs?

Answer 2

chlorophyll

Question 3

T or F: fungi have both a cell membrane and a cell wall

Answer 3

true

Question 4

What are fungal cell walls mostly made of?

Answer 4

chitin

Question 5

What are the multicellular filaments that define many fungal forms called?

Answer 5

hyphae

Question 6

What is the defining feature of most fungi?

Answer 6

hyphae

Question 7

What are growth forms other than hyphae (mycelium) that fungi can have?

Answer 7

single-celled/yeast-like

Question 8

T or F: fungi are motile

Answer 8

false! except for some germ cells

Question 9

How do fungi digest organic substrates from their environment?

Answer 9

they release enzymes

Question 10

What are 6 major fungal lifestyles?

Answer 10

pathogens
saprobes
parasites
endophytes
epiphytes
symbionts

Question 11

What are pathogens? Give fungal examples

Answer 11

An organism that infects a host and causes a disease in the host

Question 12

Describe saprobes. Give fungal examples

Answer 12

a group of fungi that decompose organic matter (feed on decaying wood, leaves, leaf litter)

Question 13

Describe parasites. Give fungal examples

Answer 13

a group of fungi that live on or in a host

Question 14

What is the difference between a pathogen and parasite?

Answer 14

pathogens infect hosts and cause disease
parasites live on or in a host

Question 15

What is an endophyte? Give fungal examples

Answer 15

a group of fungi that colonize in living plant tissues

endosymbionts

Question 16

What are epiphytes? Give fungal examples

Answer 16

fungi that grow on the external surface of plants

ex. black mildews

Question 17

What are symbionts? Give 2 fungal examples

Answer 17

an association between organisms of different species

ex.
mycorrhizal fungi and trees
lichen (multiple fungi + algae)

Question 18

T or F: fungi have pretty universal lifestyles amongst the different phyla

Answer 18

false, they have highly variable lifestyles (ex. saprobes, endophytes, epiphytes, etc)

Question 19

T or F: fungi are highly successful

Answer 19

true

Question 20

Where are fungi found (distribution)?

Answer 20

terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems

Question 21

What are 3 characteristics of fungi that make them so successful?

Answer 21

1. they can inhabit (are adapted to) both terrestrial and aquatic systems
2. they can exploit a wide range of hosts and carbon substrates
3. they reproduce and disperse by spores and can have very many

Question 22

How many accepted species of fungi are there currently?

Answer 22

~120,000
(~8%)

Question 23

What is the minimal estimate of fungal species?

Answer 23

~1.5 million

Question 24

T or F: defining fungal species is easy

Answer 24

false

Question 25

Are Oomycetes fungi?

Answer 25

NO, they are very similar but are in a totally different branch of life

Question 26

What are 2 examples of Oomycete plant pathogens with effects on plants that are relevant to humans?

Answer 26

Phytophthora ramorum causes sudden oak death Plasmopora viticola causes downy mildew

Question 27

What are 2 examples of true fungal plant pathogens with effects on plants that are relevant to humans?

Answer 27

Puccinia graminis causes wheat rust Ustilago maydis causes corn smut

Question 28

What is an example of an opportunistic human pathogen?

Answer 28

Candida albicans causes Thrush

Question 29

Describe Candida albicans and the disease (Thrush) it can cause

Answer 29

a dimorphic fungi that is an opportunistic pathogen (commensalism = benefit to fungus but no harm/benefit to host) often there's no negative effect in healthy humans, but if human has a weakened immune system = thrush very common can infect skin, fingernails, digestive tract, internal viscera, organs treated with fungistatic drugs

Question 30

Describe Cryptococcosis neoformans var. gatti and the disease it can cause in humans/mammals

Answer 30

It is a fungal pathogen of humans/mammals that can cause a pulmonary (lung) infection it is dimorphic recently introduced to BC and PNW

Question 31

What does dimorphic mean?

Answer 31

a single species has 2 different morphologies could be life stage related

Question 32

How are fungi related to human allergies?

Answer 32

fungal spores are a major allergen 10,000-20,000 spores per m^3 of air exist and can cause adverse effects

Question 33

What group of people are most exposed to fungal spore allergens?

Answer 33

agricultural workers

Question 34

What causes the musty odor smell?

Answer 34

volatile secondary metabolites that fungi can produce (including aldehydes and ketones)

Question 35

What are 2 examples of fungal allergens?

Answer 35

Alternaria alternata Cladosporium sphaerosporum

Question 36

In what ways can fungi have an economic impact?

Answer 36

fungi that function as plant pathogens can reduce agricultural yields and degrade stored crops saprobes degrade timber, textiles, leather, paint, glue, plastics, chemical, petroleum, optical glass (anything carbon-based)

Question 37

What 2 ways do fungi benefit ecosystems?

Answer 37

1. essential to nutrient cycling in soils because they can degrade cellulose and lignin (no other organism can degrade lignin) 2. mycorrhizal fungi promote plant growth and agricultural crop growth

Question 38

How are fungi important to the human food sector?

Answer 38

mushrooms as a food source, yeast for fermentation products

Question 39

How does the industrial sector benefit from fungi?

Answer 39

1. antibiotics (penicillin, cephalosporin) 2. immunosuppressants (cyclosporin has been major for organ transplant success) 3. used as model organisms for biotechnology and genetic research 4. used in biopharmaceuticals

Question 40

What are considered fungi?

Answer 40

yeasts, microfungi, mushrooms, mycelia

Question 42

What is the difference between hyphae and mycelium?

Answer 42

A hypha (s.) is the individual filament and a group of hyphae (pl.) make up a mycelium (s.) which is the filamentous growth form of fungi