Lecture 1 Flashcards
What are fungi
Large group of eukaryotic organisms that have their own kingdom.
What are hyphae
Long, branched filaments
Mycelium
Mass of branched hyphae usually hidden in soil or other food sources
Characteristic of True fungi
- Eukaryotic
- Grow as hyphae with apical growth
- Dimorphic
- Heterotrophic
Features of Fungi
- Walls composed of chitin and glucans
- External digestion
- Absorb soluble nutrients through cell wall
- Sexual and asexual reproduction
- produce spores
- Produce fruiting bodies
Fungal cell wall features
- Primarily made of chitin(largest component), glucan and glycoproteins
*
Function of fungal cell wall
- Protects cell from osmotic pressure and environmental stresses
- Defines structure
- Allows cell to interact with the environment
Dimorphic growth
Ability of fungi to reversibly switch between multicellular hyphae and unicellular yeast in response to external stimuli
** Yeast phase is more pathogenic because it is able to spread throughout the host
What is the point of the filamentous phase
It is important for adhesion to and infection of the host, maintains survival and is required for sexual mating
What are yeasts unable to degrade
Polymers such as starch and cellulose
Beneficial yeasts
- Bakers’ yeast
- bread, wine and beer production
Fungal fruiting body (Sporocarp)
Aggregated hyphae that are vegetative and develop into a fruiting body
Asci and basidia produce meiospores
Epigeous
Grow UNDERground
Hypogeous
Grow ON ground
Tree of life
Collaborative effort of biologist and enthusiasts to provide information about biodiversity, characteristics of diff groups and their evolutionary history
