FungiFungi

How are How are cheese, bread, cheese, bread, and soy sauce and soy sauce related to related to fungi?fungi?

A fungus can A fungus can help make help make each of these each of these foods!foods!

Fungi (singular form is fungus) Fungi (singular form is fungus) are everywhereare everywhere

Mushrooms on pizza are a type Mushrooms on pizza are a type of fungusof fungus

Yeast used to make bread is a Yeast used to make bread is a fungusfungus

If you’ve ever had athlete’s foot, If you’ve ever had athlete’s foot, you can thank a fungus for that, you can thank a fungus for that,

too!too!

Characteristics of FungiCharacteristics of FungiFungiFungi: eukaryotic heterotrophs that : eukaryotic heterotrophs that have rigid have rigid cell wallscell walls and no and no chlorophyllchlorophyllFood for FungiFood for Fungi– Cannot Cannot catchcatch or surround food or surround food– Must live on or near food supplyMust live on or near food supply– Most are Most are consumersconsumers—get nutrients by —get nutrients by

secreting digestive juices onto a food secreting digestive juices onto a food source and then source and then absorbingabsorbing dissolved dissolved foodfood

– Many are decomposers—Many are decomposers—feed on feed on deaddead plant or plant or animal matteranimal matter

– Some fungi live in Some fungi live in mutualismmutualism with other with other organismsorganisms

ExampleExample: many types of : many types of fungi grow on or in roots fungi grow on or in roots of plants and help the of plants and help the roots absorb minerals roots absorb minerals while the plant provides while the plant provides nutrients to the fungusnutrients to the fungusThis relationship between This relationship between a plant and a fungus is a plant and a fungus is called a called a mycorrihizamycorrihiza

Hidden From ViewHidden From View– Many-celled fungi are made Many-celled fungi are made

up of up of chainschains of cells called of cells called hyphaehyphae

– HyphaeHyphae: threadlike fungal : threadlike fungal filaments that are made up filaments that are made up of cells that have openings of cells that have openings in their cell wallsin their cell walls

These openings allow These openings allow cytoplasmcytoplasm to move freely to move freely between the cellsbetween the cells

– Most of the hyphae that Most of the hyphae that make up a fungus grow make up a fungus grow together to form a twisted together to form a twisted mass called the mass called the myceliummycelium

Making More FungiMaking More Fungi– Reproduction is Reproduction is asexualasexual or sexual or sexual– ASEXUALASEXUAL: : occurs in 2 waysoccurs in 2 ways: (1) hyphae : (1) hyphae

break apart and each new piece makes a break apart and each new piece makes a new fungus or (2) spores spread by new fungus or (2) spores spread by windwind and grow where they landand grow where they land

– SEXUALSEXUAL: special structures: special structures

form form sex cellssex cells and join and join

to produce sexual spores to produce sexual spores

that grow into a newthat grow into a new

fungusfungus

This puffball is releasing sexual spores that can

produce new fungi.

Kinds of FungiKinds of FungiFungi classified based on Fungi classified based on shapeshape and the way that and the way that they they reproducereproduce

Four main groups of Four main groups of fungifungi::– (1) threadlike fungi(1) threadlike fungi– (2) sac fungi(2) sac fungi– (3) club fungi(3) club fungi– (4) imperfect fungi(4) imperfect fungi

Threadlike FungiThreadlike Fungi– MoldMold: a fungus that looks like : a fungus that looks like woolwool or or

cottoncotton– Most of these fungi live in the soil and Most of these fungi live in the soil and

are decomposersare decomposers– Some are Some are parasitesparasites– Reproduce Reproduce asexuallyasexually—hyphae grow into —hyphae grow into

the air and form round the air and form round spore spore cases cases ((sporangiasporangia), which break open and ), which break open and release spores into airrelease spores into air

Sac FungiSac Fungi– Largest Largest group of fungigroup of fungi– Includes yeast, powdery Includes yeast, powdery

mildews, truffles, and mildews, truffles, and morelsmorels

– Reproduce sexually and Reproduce sexually and asexually during their life asexually during their life cycles (when sexually, they cycles (when sexually, they form sac called form sac called ascusascus))

YEAST

MORELS

Side Note on TrufflesSide Note on TrufflesTruffles are difficult to find and very expensive as a result! In 1994, black truffles sold for $350 to $500 a pound. In the United States, edible truffles are collected in the forests of Oregon and Washington. In Europe, most truffles are collected in France and Italy. Truffle hunters in Italy and France use pigs and mixed-breed dogs to sniff out truffles. Dogs are preferred to pigs because pigs love to eat truffles. Notice the staff held by the truffle hunter in the picture with the pig. The hunter uses the staff to force the pig to back off, once the pig has located a truffle

-Yeast are -Yeast are single celledsingle celled and reproduce and reproduce by buddingby budding

– Useful to humansUseful to humans– Other sac fungi are Other sac fungi are

sources of sources of antibioticsantibiotics and vitaminsand vitamins

–yeast used to make yeast used to make breadbread and alcohol and alcohol yeasts use yeasts use sugar as food and produce sugar as food and produce carbon dioxide gas and carbon dioxide gas and alcohol as waste. Trapped alcohol as waste. Trapped bubbles of CO2 cause bubbles of CO2 cause bread dough to rise.bread dough to rise.

Club FungiClub Fungi– Umbrella-shaped and Umbrella-shaped and

most most familiarfamiliar– Example: mushroomsExample: mushrooms– Reproduce sexually—Reproduce sexually—

special special hyphaehyphae grow grow clublike structures clublike structures called called basidiabasidia, where , where spores developspores develop

– In gill fungi, the In gill fungi, the basidiabasidia of these of these mushrooms develop mushrooms develop into structures called into structures called gills, gills, under the under the mushroom capmushroom cap

– Mushrooms usually Mushrooms usually grow at the grow at the edgesedges of of the mass of hyphae the mass of hyphae underground—this underground—this is why mushrooms is why mushrooms often appear in often appear in circlescircles

– A ring of A ring of mushrooms can mushrooms can appear overnight. appear overnight. In European folk In European folk legends, these were legends, these were known as “known as “fairy fairy ringsrings””

Nonmushroom FungiNonmushroom Fungi– Mushrooms are not the Mushrooms are not the

only club fungionly club fungi– Also includes: bracket Also includes: bracket

fungi, puffballs, smuts, fungi, puffballs, smuts, and rustsand rusts

– Smuts and rusts are Smuts and rusts are common common plantplant parasitesparasites

BRACKET FUNGI

CORN SMUT

Imperfect FungiImperfect Fungi– Includes all of the species of fungi that Includes all of the species of fungi that

do not quite fit into other groupsdo not quite fit into other groups– Do not reproduce Do not reproduce sexuallysexually– Most are parasites that cause Most are parasites that cause diseasesdiseases

in plants and in plants and animalsanimals– ExampleExample: athlete’s foot (a : athlete’s foot (a skinskin

disease)disease)

– Some are usefulSome are useful penicillum, which is penicillum, which is the source of the source of antibiotic penicillinantibiotic penicillin

LichensLichens– Combinations of a fungus and an Combinations of a fungus and an algaalga

that grow togetherthat grow together– Alga actually lives Alga actually lives insideinside the protective the protective

walls of the funguswalls of the fungus– Result of mutualistic relationshipResult of mutualistic relationship

BRITISH SOLDIER LICHEN

CHRISTMAS LICHEN

– Unlike fungi, lichens are Unlike fungi, lichens are producersproducers—algae in lichen —algae in lichen produce food through produce food through photosynthesisphotosynthesis

– Because lichens need only Because lichens need only lightlight, , air, and minerals to grow, they air, and minerals to grow, they can grow on rockscan grow on rocks

– Lichens make Lichens make acidsacids that break that break down rocks and cause down rocks and cause crackscracks

– Lichens absorb water and Lichens absorb water and minerals from airminerals from air easily easily affected by air affected by air pollutionpollution