fungi premier decomposers fungi characteristics heterotrophic secrete digestive enzymes on organic...
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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