Fungi

1
Fungi

• An Unappreciated Kingdom

2
Fungi Nutrition

• Fungi are heterotrophs with absorptive nutrition.
  
• Food is digested outside its body.
• Powerful digestive enzymes breakdown complex
  organic molecules to simpler compounds.
• The simpler compounds are then absorbed
• Three Different Life Styles
• Saprobic fungi
• Absorb nutrients from non-living organic material
  (dead plants and animals, etc.)
• Parasitic fungi
• Absorb nutrients from the cells of living hosts
  (athletes foot, yeast infections, etc.)
• Mutualistic fungi
• Absorb nutrients from a host organism which they
  help in some way (lichen, mycorrhizae, etc)

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Fungi General Characteristics 1

• Unicellular
• A few species are found as single celled
  organisms (e.g. yeast)
• Multicellular
• Most fungi are found like this.
• Hyphae tubular filaments that make up most
  fungi.
• Coenocytic Hyphae Hyphae that are not divided
  into separate cells, the nuclei can move around
  freely!
• The most common form.
• Septate Hyphae Hyphae which have incomplete
  cross walls called septa. Ribosomes,
  mitochondria, and nuclei can still move cell to
  cell.

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Fungi General Characteristics 2

• Mycelium
• A large collection or network of hyphae. It is
  the visible structure of a fungus like the
  typical mushroom.
• Can be underground
• Can be above ground forming a familiar structure.
  
• Have cell walls
• Made of chitin
• A polysaccharide (sugar)
• Also found in the exoskeletons of arthropods.

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Fungi Symbiosis Mutualism

• Lichens
• Mutualistic relationship between algae and fungi
• Algae photosynthesizes and therefore provides
  energy.
• Fungi provides structure and protection
• Mycorrhizae
• Mutualistic relationship between plants and
  fungus
• Word Breakdown
• Myco fungus
• Rhizae root
• Root fungus
• Over 95 of all vascular plants have
  mycorrhizae.
• Fungus Increases absorptive surface of plant
  roots.
• Helps the plant acquire certain minerals.
• Plant Provides fungus with food.