Mycology Final Flashcards
What are yeasts?
Mostly Ascomycota, some Basidiomycota, typically single cellular
How do they reproduce?
Asexually by budding and fission and sexually thru ascospores and basidiospores
where do they live?
Sugary, nutrient-rich environments like fruit, flower and leaf surfaces, sometimes soil
what are the beneficial and harmful roles of fungi?
Beneficial- Baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), wine fermentation
Harmful- Thrush, ringworm, yeast infections (Candida albicans)
What are the main types of human diseases and what types of fungi cause them?
Superficial mycoses
Cutaneous
Subcutaneous
Systemic dimorphic
Opportunistic systemic
Superficial mycoses- Saprophytic fungi
Cutaneous- Dermatophytes (feed on keratin) and yeasts
Subcutaneous- Soil saprophytes
Systemic dimorphic- Dimorphic fungi
Opportunistic systemic- Various fungi
How are humans with immune deficiencies affected by fungi?
They are more susceptible to all infections, but especially the opportunistic ones. The infection will also be more serious.
Apply the concept of the disease triangle to human diseases. What measures could you use to target each part of the triangle to control disease? Yeast infection
Pathogen- Decreasing quantity of inoculum
Host- Medicines
Environment- Limiting food sources and properly cleaning typical areas.
How do fungi trap and feed on nematodes in the soil?
They have adhesive nets that trap the nematodes and sharp spores that when ingested will attach and infect the nematode and grow conidiophores.
What kinds of fungi are pathogens of insects? How might these fungi be used in biocontrol?
Beauveria and Entomophthora control many insects and could be commercially produced as an insecticide.
What is the role of fungi in the population decline seen recently in amphibians?
Chytridiomycosis-Infects the skin of amphibians and results in death.
What are mycotoxins?
Chemicals produced by fungi under certain conditions. Typically target liver and lungs.
Examples of common mycotoxins, the fungi that produce them
Aflatoxins- Produced by Aspergillus
Ochratoxin- Aspergillus & Penicillium produces
Fumonsins- Fusarium produces
What are common sources of mycotoxins and what environmental or storage conditions may favor their production?
Aflatoxins- Pistachios and peanuts
Ochratoxin- Small grains, coffee, and grapes.
Fumonsins- Maize
Storing moist grains, and storing in warm temperatures can support growth.
What are some food products that depend on fungal activity?
Cheese, bread, soy sauce, chocolate
What is fermentation and what are some food products derived from it?
Turns sugar to 〖CO〗_2 and alcohol.
Beer, wine, bread
What are white rot and brown rot fungi? How do they differ in their ability to degrade wood?
White rot- Degrades cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, causes stringy appearance.
Brown rot- Degrades cellulose and hemicellulose, leave behind bricks of lignin shell
What kinds of metabolites and fungal products are most commonly used in industry?
Ethanol (crop fermentation), citric acid (fermentation of starch by aspergillus), pectinase (juice clarifier)
Give examples of industrial applications of fungi in medicine, food processing, paper making, biofuel production, other…
Antibiotics, pectinase (juice clarifier), plant growth hormone, eco packaging
What are fungi and where are they classified in the web of life?
Spore-producing organisms that feed on organic matter. They are in the domain eukarya, kingdoms eumycota and chromista.
What kingdoms are studied in mycology and what are their main characteristics?
Eumycota- True fungi, chitin cell wall
Chromista- Plant-like, cellulose walls
Be able to identify and describe the main characteristics that define Basidiomycota
Basidiomycota- Eumycota, dikaryotic, forcibly ejected basidiospores, extended dikaryophase, clamp connections
Be able to identify and describe the main characteristics that define Ascomycota
Ascomycota- Eumycota, dikaryotic, 8 ascospores in an ascus, can have forcibly ejected spores
Be able to identify and describe the main characteristics that define Zygomycota
Zygomycota- Eumycota, grow very quickly in culture, coenocytic hyphae, + and - hyphae
Be able to identify and describe the main characteristics that define Chytridiomycota
Chytridiomycota- Eumycota, mostly saprophytes, mostly in aquatic habitats, 1 flagellum
Be able to identify and describe the main characteristics that define Oomycota
Oomycota- Chromista, diploid coenocytic hyphae, have oogonium and antheridium
Be able to give a couple of examples of Basidiomycota and their importance or role
Basidiomycota- False truffle (causes illness when ingested), Chicken of the Woods (can be eaten)
Be able to give a couple of examples of Ascomycota and their importance or role
Ascomycota- Penicillium (makes penicillin), Ergot (responsible for Salem Witch Trials)
Be able to give a couple of examples of Zygomycota and their importance or role
Zygomycota- Rhizopus (bread mold), Spinellus (mushroom parasite)
Be able to give a couple of examples of Chytridiomycota and their importance or role
Chytridiomycota- Batrachochytrium (Chytridiomycosis), Rumen fungi (degrades plant cell walls)
Be able to give a couple of examples of Oomycota and their importance or role
Oomycota- Phytophthora infestans (Potato Late Blight),
Why are the Basidiomycota and Ascomycota most closely related phylogenetically? What do
they have in common?
Cell walls of chitin, dikaryotic hyphae, septate hyphae with central pore, primary mycelium is haploid
What methods are used to isolate and identify fungi, including macrofungi and microfungi?
Macrofungi- Spore print, color of cap, presence/absence of stalk, gills or pores, type of pores
Microfungi- Looking for sporangia, spores, conidia, septate/coenocytic hyphae, looking under dissecting microscope
What are some measures used to control fungal pathogens?
Prevent inoculation, destroy inoculum, make resistant host, fungicides
Be able to provide examples of the role of fungi as pathogens and mutualists with animals,
plants and humans.
Pathogens- Late Blight, food spoilage, yeast infections
Mutualisms with animals- Rumen fungi assist in digestion.
Mutualism with plants- Mycorrhizal association (wood wide web)
Mutualism with humans- Food and fermentation
Be able to identify the phylum and describe the variety of roles of Penicillium
Penicillium- Ascomycota, makes penicillin.
Be able to identify the phylum and describe the variety of roles of Aspergillus
Aspergillus- Ascomycota, fermentation of starch for citric acid
Be able to identify the phylum and describe the variety of roles of Rhizopus
Rhizopus- Zygomycota, Bread mold?
Be able to identify the phylum and describe the variety of roles of Fusarium
Fusarium- Ascomycota, produce fumonsin mycotoxin
Be able to identify the phylum and describe the variety of roles of Phytophthora
Phytophthora- Oomycota, Late Potato Blight
Be able to identify the phylum and describe the variety of roles of Agaricus
Agaricus- Basidiomycota, decomposer
Be able to identify the phylum and describe the variety of roles of Saccharomyces
Saccharomyces- Ascomycota, Baker’s yeast
Be able to identify the phylum and describe the variety of roles of Morchella
Morchella- Ascomycota, morels
