Mycology

Question 1

what is mycology

Answer 1

The study of fungi

Question 2

why do fungi differ from plants

Answer 2

Fungi differ from plants because they have no chlorophyll and so do not perform photosynthesis

Question 3

why do fungi differ from animals

Answer 3

Fungi differ from animals by having a cell wall

Question 4

what is mycoses

Answer 4

the term for diseases caused by fungi

Question 5

what is largest living organism on earth

Answer 5

a fungi called armillaria

Question 6

general properties of fungi

Answer 6

Eucaryote
• Unicellular/multicellular
• Vary in size - Micro (yeast) to macro (mushrooms)
• Reproduction -yeast by budding (blastospores)
• Moulds - asexual or/and sexual spores
• Habitats - widely distributed in nature
• Growth on synthetic media
• Tolerate high salt, high sugar, low pH
• Control - Temp. 60°C for 5-30 minutes, bleach or phenolic compounds
• Over 100,00 species, only ~ 200 cause disease

Question 7

what are the nutritional groups of fungi

Answer 7

saprophyte

parasites

Question 8

what is saprophyte

Answer 8

obtain nutrients from decaying organic material

Question 9

what is parasite and 2 types

Answer 9

pathogens of plants & animals
• Obligate parasites
• Facultative parasites

Question 10

4 morphological classifications of fungi

Answer 10

Moulds - mycelial growth made of branching tubular filaments called hyphae

True Yeasts - unicellular

Yeast-like Fungi (yeast or short filament)

Dimorphic Fungi - yeast or mycelial depending on environment

Question 11

effects of fungi benefits

Answer 11

Food preparation - Cheese
• Antibiotic production • Enzymes production • Acid production
• Decomposition
• Pesticides degradation

Question 12

effects of fungi harmful

Answer 12

• Food spoilage
• Unwanted growth on some surfaces
• Animal and plant diseases
• Mycotoxin production
• Lab. contaminants

Question 13

fungi growth requirements

Answer 13

• Temperature 25 - 30oC
• Acidic pH (4 -6 )
• Moist
• Aerobic

Question 14

yeast and moulds reproduction type

Answer 14

Yeast - budding Moulds - asexual/sexual

Question 15

Asexual spore types

Answer 15

• Sporangiospores
• Chlamydospores
• Conidiospores (Conidia)
• Arthrospores
• Blastospores

Question 16

Sporangiospores

Answer 16

asexual spore

Spores inside sac called sporangium

Question 17

Chlamydospores

Answer 17

Spores within thickened cell wall of hyphae

asexual

Question 18

Conidiospores (Conidia)

Answer 18

asexual
naked spores in chains at hyphal tip
flower head

Question 19

Arthrospores

Answer 19

asexual

fragmentation of hyphae

Question 20

Blastospores

Answer 20

asexual

Form as buds

Question 21

4 stages of sexual spore formation

Answer 21

1. Cells of + thallus and – thallus fuse (Dikaryotic stage)
2. After several hours / years/ centuries nuclei fuse (diploid stage)
3. Meiosis of nucleus restores haploid state
4. Haploid nucleus partitioned into + and - spores

Question 22

classification of sexual repo

Answer 22

• Zygomycota (Zygospores, Zygosporangia (2 bags and stuff in middle)
• Basidiomycota (Basidiospores) (foot like)
• Ascomycota (Ascospores) (pea like)

• Deuteromycetes (no sexual stage)

Question 23

superficial fungal infection + e.g. of infection

Answer 23

mucosa surfaces - candida

skin - cutaneous/dermatomyosis

Question 24

Dermatophycoses infection + caused by and worm type

Answer 24

skin fungal infection
• Causes by dermatophytes
– Only on skin, hair and nails
• Tinea (latin for worm, however no worms involved)
– Ringworm (no worm involved)
– Examples:
• Trichophyton rubrum. • Microsporum canis.

Question 25

systemic mycoses dimporphic fungal pathogens

Answer 25

• Histoplasmosis
• Blastomycosis
• Coccidiodomycosis
• Paracoccidoidomycosis

Question 26

what are mycotoxins

Answer 26

• Toxins produced by fungi
• 25% of worlds food contaminated with mycotoxins
• Levels usually too low to cause illness
• Aflatoxins
– Some Aspergillus sp
– Can be fatal
– Carcinogenic (liver)
• Some mycotoxins useful
– Ergotamine used to treat migraines