lecture 15- fungi Flashcards
characteristics of fungi
cell wall: chitin
chemoheterotrophs
most are multicellular (yeast is unicellular)
what do fungi secrete and what does it do
exoenzymes
break down large molecules into soluble forms to absorb (rocks)
what are the two parts of the anatomy of fungi
fruiting body and mycelium
made of hyphae
how can the fungi reproduce
asexually (spores)
sexually
alternation of generation
how does fungi sexual reproduction work
fusion of hyphae of two organisms (mycelium has haploid nuclei of both)
eventually the nuclei fuse and make diploid zygote
meiosis can then produce four haploid cells
what is it called when the hyphae of two individuals fuse
plasmogamy
how does the environment affect decomposition
the warmer and more humid it is the faster the nutrient cycle/decomposition process will be
how do pathogenic fungi work
they enter the stomata and suck out the stuff in the cells of plants
how can fungi be pathogenic to animals
can invade tissue
release mycotoxins that can be inhaled by humans and cause respiratory problems
how is lichen an example of mutualistic symbionts
a fungus associates with green algae (or cyanobacteria)
algae provides food (carbon from photosynthesis)
fungus provides an environment suitable for growth, water and minerals
what is mycorrhizae and what are the benefits
association between a fungus and a plant
fungus gets carbon
plant gets nutrients, water, increased resistance to toxic elements in soil (has access to the underground area that the fungi covers)
how much mycorrhizae is there on plants
on roots of 90% of vascular plants
what are achlorophyllous plants and what is special about them
they are plants that don’t have chlorophyll a or b so they cannot photosynthesize
they are parasitic plants that obtain carbon from trees
how are photosynthetic plants, fungi and achlorophyllous plants related
the fungi and photosynthetic plants are mutualistic
achlorophyllous plant uses the fungi to get minerals and carbon
what do fungi produce that is useful in the culinary world
alcohol and co2
yeast is used in bread and wine
