lecture 17 Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

fungi

A
  • one of four kingdoms in the domain eukarya
  • heterotrophs
  • do not eat their food like most hetertrophs
  • acquire food via absorption
  • secrete enzymes that digest food extracellularly and then absorb the resulting nutrients
  • more closely related to animals than to plants
  • found in soil and in water
  • essential decomposers in most ecosystems
  • although many fungi are beneficial some are parasitic
  • parasitic fungi obtain their nutrients at the expense of plants or animals
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

a typical fungus is composed of

A
  • hypae: threadlike filaments which branch repeatedly forming a feeding network known as mycelium
  • hyphae are surrounded by a cell wall which is usually made of chitin
  • chitin is strong and flexible: made of a nitrogen-containing polysaccharide
  • usually hyphae consist of chains of cells seperated by cross-walls
  • the cross-walls contain pores large enough to permit the exchange of large organelles such as ribosomes, mitocondria, and nuclei to pass from cell to cell
  • some fungi lack cross- walls entirely and contain many nuclei within a single mass of cytoplasm
  • fungal mycelium grow at very rapid pace
  • branches through food sources and explores new territories
  • grow longer without corresponding increase in thickness
  • acts to increase the surface area for secretion of digestive enzymes and absorption
  • a mycelium can add as much as 1 km of new hyphae each day
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

fungi and spore production

A
  • fungi can usually reproduce sexually or asexually
  • a large number of haploid spores are released and are transported over large distances by either wind or water
  • if the spore lands in a moist environment with food supply it will germinate producing new fungus
  • sexual reproduction of fungi results when:
  • two haploid mycelia of different mating types release sexual signals, growing toward one another and fusing
  • the cytoplasmic fusion is not immediately followed by fusion of the nuclei
  • this stage is called a heterkaryotic stage in which cells contain two genetically distinct haploid nuclei
  • hours, days, or even centuries may pass before the nuclei fuse, giving rise to the generally short lived diploid phase
  • zygotes undergo meiosis within special reproductive structures, producing haploid spores
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

two types of fungi and spore production

A
  • molds and yeasts only reproduce asexually
  • called imperfect fungi
    1. mold- refers to any rapidly growing fungus that reproduces asexually via spore production
  • spores are usually at the tips of specialized hyphae
  • found on rotting fruits and bread
    2. - refers to any single-celled fungus
  • reproduce asexually via budding
  • these inhabit moist habitats and liquids:
  • animal tissues
  • plant sap
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

five groups of fungi

A
  • more than 100,000 fungal species have been described
  • may be more than 1.5 million
  • diverged from a uniknot ancestor more than 1 billion years ago
  • fossilized evidence exists from 460 million years ago
  • sexual reproductive structures are often used to classify species
  • all but one of the five groups of fungi lack flagellated spores
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

five fungi

A
  1. chytrids
  2. zygomycetes
  3. glomeromycetes
  4. ascomycetes
  5. basidiomycetes
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

chytrids

A
  • the only group of fungi with flagellated spores
  • thought to represent the earliest linage of fungi
  • found in lakes, ponds, and soil
  • some are decomposers other are parasitic to plants, animals or protists
  • decline in some frog populations attributed to chytrid infection
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

zygomycetes

A
  • characterized by their resistant zygosporagium
  • within the zygosporangium haploid spores form by meiosis
  • diverse group
  • includes fast growing molds ex) black bread mold
  • molds that rot produce ex) strawberries
  • some are animals parasites
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

glomeromycetes

A
  • form distinct mycorrhizae
  • hyphae that invade plant roots branch into tiny tree like structures called arbuscules
  • 80% of plants have a symbiotic partnership with glomeromycetes
  • the glomeromycetes deliver phosphate and other minerals to plants while receiving organic nutrients in exchange
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

asomycetes

A
  • also called sac fungi
  • contain sac-like structures called asci that produces spores via sexual reproduction
  • live in marine, freshwater and terrestrial habitats
  • wide range in size
  • unicellular to large multicellular structures
  • some of the most devastating plant pathogens
  • other live in symbiosis with green algae and bacteria ex) lichens
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

basidiomycetes

A
  • also called club fungi
  • most well known group of fungi and includes mushrooms
  • named for club shaped spore producing structure called a basidium
  • many of these species are excellent at breaking down the lignin found in wood
  • therefore play key roles are decomposers
  • include two groups of destructive plant parasites
    1. rusts
    2. smuts
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

reproductive differences among the five fungal groups : zygomycetes

A
  • hyphae expand through food and the fungus reproduces asexually
  • produces spores in sporangia at the tips of hyphae
  • when food is depleted the fungus reproduces sexually
  • mycelia of different mating types join and produce a cell containing nuclei from both parents
  • this young zygosporangium develops into thick walled structure able to tolerate dry or harsh environments
  • when conditions become favourable the two parent nuclei fuse and the diploid nucleus undergoes meiosis
  • haploid spores are produced
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

reproductive differences among the five fungal groups: ascomycetes

A
  • also reproduce asexually when conditions are favourable
  • the haploid spores than mature in the spring
  • the genetic diversity of these new spores increases the likeihood that at least one geneotype will survive and successfully establish itself in the new environment encountered in the new season
  • surviving individals will reproduce asexually for many generations before once again reproducing sexually
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

reproductive differences among the five fungal groups: basidomycete

A
  • life cycle: mushroom
  • heterokaryotic stage begins when two hyphae from two different mating types fuse
  • heterokaryotic mycelium is formed and grows producing the mushroom
  • in club shaped cells called basidia (line the gills of the mushroom) haploid nuceli fuse forming diploid nuclei
  • eech diploid nucleus undergoes meiosis producing haploid spores
  • mushrooms may release up to a billion spores
  • should the spores land on moist matter that may serve as food source they will germinate and become hapoid mycelia
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

parasitic fungi

A
  • approx 30% of all known fungi are parasites or pathorgens: mainly of plants
  • dutch elm diease:
  • accidentally introduced into the US from europe on logs which were destined to become furniture
  • over a number of decades the fungus destroyed 70% of elm tress across the eastern US
  • english elms were completely wiped out
  • DNA analysis revealed that all of these trees were genetically identically
  • they were derived by asexual reproduction and therefore all equally susceptible to dutch elm diease
  • crops are usually genetically indentical and thus highly susceptible to fungal diease
  • approx 80% of plant dieases are caused by fungi
  • leads to huge economic losses
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

corn infected with smut (club fungus)

A
  • grayish growth called galls
  • galls are made of heterokaryotic hypae which invade a developing corn kernal and eventually displace it
  • the mature gall will open releasing thousands of grayish black spores
17
Q

mycosis

A

a fungal infection

18
Q

animals are much less susceptible to fungal infections

A
  • animal fungal infections range from minor infections which are predominately irritating such as athletes foot to very serious infections such as coccidiomycosis, a fungal infection of the lung which can become sytemic
  • yeasts are also what cause vaginal infections and many of the opportunities infections in AIDS patients and other immunocompromised patients
19
Q

lichens

A
  • lichens are fungi living in close association with photosynthetic organisms
  • the association of millions of green algae or cyanobacteria wrapped tightly around a mass of fungal hypae
  • such a close interaction that lichens are named as a single species
  • the fungus obtians food from the photosynetheic partner and the fungal mycelium provides a suitable habitat fro the algae
  • helps the algae to absorb and retain water and minerals
20
Q

lichens are able to live in areas with little or no soil

A
  • important pioneers on new land
  • some tolerate severe cold
  • carpets of them cover the arctic tundra
  • they can also withstand severe drought
  • opportunists growing in spurts while conditions are favorable
  • when it rains the lichen absorbs water and photosynthesizes
  • in dry air the lichen dehydrates and photosynthesis stops indefinitely while the fungus remains alive
  • lichens are very sensitive to air borne pollutants such as sulfur dioxide
  • death of lichens is a sign of poor air quality
  • fungi receives most of its nutrients and minerals from the air
21
Q

fungi and ants

A
  • some fungi have mutually benefical relationships with ants
  • fungi are decomposers which produce enzymes that digest plant material such as cellulose
  • ants and termites take advantage of this
  • the cellulose digesting enzymes are important to the ants which raise the fungus in farms
  • they cultivate fungal gardens bringing leaves to the host
  • the fungi feed on leaves using their enzymes to break down cellulose which ants cannot digest on their own
  • the ants harvest the swollen fungal tips as food
  • when a queen ant establishes a new colony she takes the fungal hyphae along with her in pouch in her mouth
  • some of these fungi are so dependant that they may no longer survive without their ants
22
Q

importance of fungi

A
  • mushrooms are fungi
  • some cheeses such as blue cheese come from fungi
  • yeast are also used by humans to produce alcoholic beverages
  • some fungi are also important for antibiotic production
  • penicillium mold is responsible for producing penicillin