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Ch 19: Kingdom Fungi

KEY CONCEPT Fungi are heterotrophs that absorb their food.


Fungi are adapted to absorb their food from the environment.

• Plants and fungi have different traits. – Fungal cell walls are made of chitin. – Plant cell walls are made of cellulose.– Plants have chlorophyll and photosynthesize.– Fungi absorb food through hyphae.


• Fungi are multicellular organisms, with the exception of yeasts.

– hyphae– mycellium– fruiting body


Fungi come in many shapes and sizes.

• Primitive fungi are aquatic and have flagellated spores.• Sac fungi form a reproductive sac, or ascus.

– Yeasts are single-celled sac fungi.– Morels and truffles are multicellular sac fungi.


• Bread molds are often found on spoiled food. – form zygospores during reproduction – mycorrhizae belong to this group


• Club fungi have fruiting bodies which are club-shaped.

– reproductive structures called basidia

– include mushrooms, puffballs, and shelf fungi


Fungi reproduce sexually and asexually.• Most fungi reproduce both sexually and asexually.

– Yeasts reproduce asexually through budding.– Yeasts form asci during sexual reproduction.


• Multicellular fungi have complex reproductive cycles.– distinctive reproductive

structures


– life cycles may include either sexual or asexual reproduction or both

• Multicellular fungi have complex reproductive cycles.


• All fungi form spores and zygotes.


KEY CONCEPT Fungi recycle nutrients in the environment.


Fungi may be decomposers, pathogens, or mutualists.

• Fungi and bacteria are the main decomposers in any ecosystem.– decompose dead leaves, twigs, logs, and animals– return nutrients to the soil – can damage fruit trees and wooden structures


• Fungi can act as pathogens. – human diseases include ringworm and athlete’s foot– plant diseases include Dutch elm disease


• Fungi can act as mutualists. – lichens form between fungi and algae– mycorrhizae form between fungi and plants


– relationships form between fungi and some insects• Fungi can act as mutualists.


Fungi are studied for many purposes.

• Fungi are useful in several ways.– as food – as antibiotics– as model systems for molecular biology

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