Medical Mycosis

(Fungal diseases)
Fifth Lecture

MSc. Sarah Ahmed

 Medical Mycoses
Fungi are eukaryotic organisms that exist in two basic forms: yeasts
and molds. Yeasts are single cells, whereas molds consist of long
filaments of cells called hyphae.
Yeasts reproduce by budding, a process in which the daughter cells
are unequal in size, whereas molds reproduce by cell division
(daughter cells are equal in size).
Some fungi are dimorphic (i.e., they can exist either as yeasts or
molds, depending on the temperature). At room temperature (e.g.,
25°C), dimorphic fungi are molds, whereas at body temperature they
are yeasts (or some other form such as a spherule).
• The fungal cell wall is made of chitin; the bacterial cell wall is made of
peptidoglycan. Therefore, antibiotics that inhibit peptidoglycan
synthesis such as penicillins, cephalosporins,
and vancomycin are not effective against fungi.
• The fungal cell membrane contains ergosterol, whereas the bacterial
cell membrane does not contain ergosterol. Therefore, antibiotics that
inhibit ergosterol synthesis (e.g., the azole drugs) are not effective
against bacteria. Similarly, amphotericin B that binds to fungal cell
membranes at the site of ergosterol is not effective against bacteria.
There are two types of fungi: yeasts and molds. Yeasts
grow as single cells that reproduce by asexual budding.
Molds grow as long filaments (hyphae) and form a mat
(mycelium). Some hyphae form transverse walls (septate
hyphae), whereas others do not (nonseptate hyphae).
Nonseptate hyphae are multinucleated (coenocytic). The
growth of hyphae occurs by extension of the tip of the
hypha, not by cell division all along the filament.
Some fungi reproduce sexually by mating and forming
sexual spores (e.g., zygospores, ascospores, and
basidiospores). Zygospores are single large spores with
thick walls; ascospores are formed in a sac called ascus;
and basidiospores are formed externally on the tip of a
pedestal called a basidium.
Most fungi of medical interest propagate asexually
by forming conidia (asexual spores) from the sides
or ends of specialized structures (Figure 47–1).
The shape, color, and arrangement of conidia aid in
the identification of fungi.
Some important conidia are (1) arthrospores,1
which arise by fragmentation of the ends of hyphae
and are the mode of transmission of Coccidioides
immitis; (2) chlamydospores, which are rounded,
thick-walled, and quite resistant (the terminal
chlamydospores of C. albicans aid in its
identification); (3) blastospores, which are formed
by the budding process by which yeasts reproduce
asexually (some yeasts, e.g., C. albicans, can form
multiple buds that do not detach, thus producing
sausagelike chains called pseudohyphae, which
can be used for identification); and (4)
sporangiospores, which are formed within a sac
(sporangium) on a stalk by molds such as
Rhizopus and Mucor.
 Medical Mycoses
• Medical mycoses can be divided into four categories:(1)cutaneous: infect
dead layer of skin Epidermis, hair, nails,(2)subcutaneous: infect Subcutis (3)
systemic, and (4) opportunistic. Both of them infect internal organs.
Skin and Subcutaneous Fungal
Diseases
Systemic Fungal Diseases
Opportunistic Fungal Diseases
The End