Fungi

Premier Decomposers

Fungi Characteristics

• Heterotrophic• Secrete digestive

enzymes on organic material and then absorb it

• Extracellular digestion and absorption

Fungi Characteristics

• Most are multicellular• Reproduce both asexually and sexually• Spore producing• Produce a mesh of filaments called a

mycelium• Each filament of the mycelium is called a

hypha

Fungi Characteristics

• Three major groups:• Zygomycota• Ascomycota: sac

fungi• Basidiomycota: club

fungi• Imperfect fungi

Spores

• Sexual, asexual spores, or both• Depends on contact with other hyphae,

food availability, temperature, and dampness

• Incredible numbers of spores are produced

• Depend on wind and air currents to disperse them

Zygomycetes• Bread mold• Some parasitic

species• Stalked hyphae with

spore sacs on top

Ascomycetes

• Sac Fungi• 30,000 species• Includes truffles and

morels• Penicillium that

flavors cheeses and makes antibiotic

• Yeast

Ascomycetes

Basidiomycetes

• The club fungi• The typical mushroom

with a stalk and cap• Shelf and bracket

fungi• The mushroom is

really the reproductive body-the mycelium is buried

Basidiomycetes

Typical Life Cycle

Club Fungi Life Cycle

Imperfect Fungi

• Not really a classification group• Used when we cannot detect a sexual

phase of spore production• Often includes penicillium and aspergillus

Lichens

• Fungus intertwined with a photosynthetic organism

• Most of the fungi are sac fungi (Ascomycota)

• Most of the photosynthetic components are green algae

• The fungus is usually the larger part

Lichens

Mycorrhizae:mutualism between a fungus and a

young tree root

Some are Bad Guys

• Histoplamosis• Athletes foot• Ringworm• Plant diseases such as Dutch Elm

disease, blights, smuts, Chestnut blight