FUNGI

By: Natasha Pérez, Patricio Hinojosa , Melissa Rueda & Dominique Rueda

Fungi are a diverse group of eukaryotic organisms. They do not have chloroplasts. Fungi are very closely

related to humans. Some fungi are unicellular organisms.

Fungi Anatomy The fungi consists of two parts, the reproductive structure, & the

underground mycillium.

The fungi usually concentrates all its energy on adding hyphae which allows for more surface area.

The second part of the structure is the reproductive structure.

Characteristics: All are eukaryotes.

Most are filamentous.

Some are unicellular.

Protoplasm of a hypha or cell is surrounded by a rigid wall.

Many reproduce both sexually & asexually.

Their nuclei are typically haploid & hyphal compartments are often multinucleate.

All are achlorophyllous.

They break down decayed substances in nutrients for plants. Some edible ones can be good for our bodies.

Diversity:Fungi have a worldwide distribution, and grow in a wide range of habitats, including extreme environments. This organism spends part of its life cycle as a motile zoospore. Other examples of aquatic fungi include those living in hydrothermal areas of the ocean. Around 100,000 species of fungi have been formally described by taxonomists. The fungal kingdom has been estimated to contain about 1.5 million species. Species may also be distinguished by their biochemical & physiological characteristics.

Mobility:Technically a fungi moves by releasing reproductive spores that are carried by wind or rain water & by growing and extending their hyphae. This allows them to grow somewhere else but they don't actually have any physical movement. Hyphae grow as new cells form at the tips, creating ever longer and branching chains of cells.

Classification:Kingdom Fungi:

The fungi kingdom is broken down into four phylums:

Chytrids

Zygote Fungi

Ascomycota

Basidium

Physiology: Nutrition: Most fungi contain complex enzymes and other chemical substances The chemical products of digestion are, therefore, completed outside of the organism, and the fungus absorbs the end products. Reproduction: Fungi reproduce sexually or asexually, or both, depending upon the species and the environmental conditions. This group is important because it contains most of the pathogenic fungi. The yeasts reproduce both by spores and by a process known as budding, which is similar to binary fission.

Growth: Fungi grow under the same conditions of bacteria. Fungi are easily killed at high temperatures.

Distribution:Fungi are spread anywhere & can live on their own or as parasites of other eukaryote organisms. They are usually visible on such foods as bread, jam and fruits in the form of a blue or green coating.

Pros & ConsPros: They help in the decaying process . All things that die must decay.

Environmental BenefitsThe fungi are instrumental in cycling carbon, minerals and other nutrients which benefit local ecology. Certain fungi also decompose dead organic matter and return it to the soil.

Cons: Viruses, bacteria, fungi, algae & protozoa cause many diseases .

Fungal DiseasesFungal diseases are called mycoses and those affecting humans can be divided into four groups.

Superficial mycoses

Cutaneous mycoses

Subcutaneous mycoses

Systemic or deep mycoses

Thank You!References:

http://www.biology-online.org/articles/fungi/characteristics_fungi.html http://www.eniscuola.net/en/life/contenuti/fungi/left/fungi-knowledge/distribution-in-the-environment/ http://answers.askkids.com/Life_on_Earth/How_does_Fungi_Move http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_some_pros_and_cons_of_fungus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungus