Kingdom Fungi Phylum Chytridiomycota

 the CHYTRIDS
 diverse and widespread
 freshwater & marine habitat
 Essential for terrestrial ecosystems as decomposers
o breaks down organic material & recycles vital  flagellated spores : ZOOSPORES
nutrients
KEY TRAITS
 Heterotrophic
o Absorb nutrients from outside of their body  thin
o uses enzymes to breakdown complex organic walled
molecules into small organic compounds
o The versatility of these enzymes contributes to
fungi’s ecological success
 Fungi Exhibit diverse lifestyles:
o Decomposers mitosporangium/ zoosporangium releases
o Parasites mitosposres/ zoospores that germinates to
o Mutualists produce the diploid sporophyte
 thick walled meiosporangium produces
meiospores by meiosis;
 meiospores produces the haploid gametophyte
Genus Allomyces

 Consists of mycelia- networks of branched hyphae

for vast absorption
 cell walls is made up of CHITIN
 dimorphic: exhibits y-phase and m-phase
Septa - hyphae is divided into cells, with pores allowing
cell-cell movement of organelles Phylum Zygomycota
Coenocytic fungi- lacks of septa  Zygomycetes
Haustoria - specialized hyphae that allows penetration  includes bread molds, parasites and commensal
of host tissues and nutrient extraction symbionts
 sexually produces: zygospores, resistant to
 Fungi propagate by means of spores either sexually freezing and drying, can survive unfavorable
or asexually conditions
Rhizopus stolonifer
(breadmold)

 Fungi can produce spores from different life cycles

 Others can produces asexually by simple cell
division ; like budding
E.g. Saccharomyces cerevisae
Imperfect fungi / Deuteromycetes
- fungi that have no known sexual stage
Phylum Glomeromycota
 Glomeromycetes (glomero= round) once  includes mushrooms, puffballs and shell fungi
considered as zygomycetes  mutualists and plant parasites
 forms arbusccular mycorrhizae  defined by club like structure, atransient diploid
stage in the life cycle(BASIDIUM)
Ecological Significance  Basidium is borne in gills; pl. basidia
 tips of hyphae pushes into plant root cells and  asexual: conidial asexual spores
branch as arbuscules, supplying minerals and  sexual: basidiospores; produced in the
nutrients to the roots basidium; nuclear fusion in the basidium
followed by meiosis and the production of 4
Phylum Ascomycota exogenous basidiospores
 Ascomycetes (asca= sac)  genus Coprinus
 marine, freshwater & terrestrial habitats - club fungi
 includes plant pathogens,decomposers & symbionts - basidia is borne on gills
 commonly called sac fungi  genus Lycopedron (puffballs)
 varies in size and complexity from unicellular - basidia is borne inside the peridium that
yeasts to elaborate cup fungi and morels undergoes auto-digestion
 sexual spores: ascospores, produced in sac like asci
contained within ascocarps  genus Polyporus (shelf fungi)
- basidia is borne on tubes on the undersides of
 asexual spores: conidiospores; produced at the tips
of specialized hyphae called conidiaphores the basidiocarps
 Examples:  genus Puccinia (wheatrust)
 genus Peziza - biotrophic parasites of Tracheophytes
- operculate asci; - reddish-brown spore masses
- saprophytic on soils, dung, wood & plants  aesciospores- produced after winter;
debris Burberry plants.
 genus Morchella (truffels)  urediniospores- produced during
- subterranean ascocarps; summer; wheat plants
- inopeculate asci  genus Ustilago- aka corn smuts; parasitic on
angiosperms with dusty black spores masses
 genus Saccharomyces called chlamydospores
- asexual reproduction by budding
- no ascocarp formation
 genus Aspegillus
- deuteromycetes
- a sexually produces conidiospores
- stalk is the conidiphore
- no sexual spores
 genus Penicillium
- deuteromycetes
- asexually produces conidiospores

“To live in the world without becoming aware of

the meaning of the world is like wandering
about in a great library without touching the
books.”
-DanBrown.TheLostSymbol

Phylum Basidiomycota
 Basidiomycetes, basidia = little pedestal