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Final-Report of Group 3, About KIGDOM FUNGI
Final-Report of Group 3, About KIGDOM FUNGI
about KINGDOM
FUNGI
GROOUP 3
MEMBERS:
Fungi are usually multicellular eucaryotic organisms that are heterotrophs (cannot
make their own food) and have important roles in nutrient cycling in an ecosystem. In the
Five-Kingdom System of Classification, fungi are in a kingdom all by themselves—the
Kingdom Fungi. The organisms found in Kingdom fungi contain a cell wall and are
omnipresent. The study of fungi is called mycology, and a person who studies fungi is called
a mycologist.
STRUCTURE
Almost all the fungi have a filamentous structure except yeast the cells.
Fungi consist of long thread-like structures known as hyphae. These hyphae together
form a mesh-like structure called mycelium.
The nucleus is dense, clear, with chromatin threads. The nucleus is surrounded by a
nuclear membrane.
CHARACTERISTICS
Fungi are found almost everywhere on earth; some (the saprophytic fungi) living on
organic matter in water and soil, and others (the parasitic fungi) living on and within animals
and plants. Some are harmful, whereas others are beneficial. Fungi also live on many unlikely
materials, causing deterioration of leather and plastics and spoilage of jams, pickles, and
many other foods. Beneficial fungi are important in the production of cheeses, beer, wine, and
other foods, as well as certain drugs (e.g., the immunosuppressant drug cyclosporine) and
antibiotics (e.g., penicillin).
Fungi are a diverse group of eukaryotic organisms that include yeasts, moulds, and
mushrooms. They produce a chemical called pheromone which leads to sexual or asexual
reproduction. Fungi have no embryonic stage as they develop from spores. As saprophytes,
their main source of food is dead and decaying organic matter. Fungi are the ―garbage
disposers‖ of nature—the ―vultures‖ of the microbial world. By secreting digestive enzymes
into dead plant and animal matter, they decompose this material into absorbable nutrients for
themselves and other living organisms; thus, they are the original ―recyclers.‖
Fungi are sometimes incorrectly referred to as plants. They are not plants. One way
that fungi differ from plants and algae is that they are not photosynthetic. They have no
chlorophyll or other photosynthetic pigments, hence cannot perform photosynthesis. During
mitosis, the nuclear envelope is not dissolved. The cell walls of algal and plant cells contain
cellulose (a polysaccharide), but fungal cell walls do not. Fungal cell walls do contain a
polysaccharide called chitin, which is not found in the cell walls of any other microorganisms.
Chitin is also found in the exoskeletons of arthropods. Fungi also store their food in the form
of starch.
Although many fungi are unicellular (e.g., yeasts), others grow as filaments called
hyphae (singular, hypha), which intertwine to form a mass called a mycelium (plural,
mycelia) or thallus; thus, they are quite different from bacteria, which are always unicellular.
Also remember that bacteria are prokaryotic, whereas fungi are eukaryotic. Some fungi have
septate hyphae (meaning that the cytoplasm within the hypha is divided into cells by cross-
walls or septa), whereas others have aseptate hyphae (the cytoplasm within the hypha is not
divided into cells; no septa). Aseptate hyphae contain multinucleated cytoplasm (described as
being coenocytic). Learning whether the gus possesses septate or aseptate hyphae is an
important ―clue‖ when attempting to identify a fungus that has been isolated from a clinical
specimen.
Outline of characteristics:
The term decomposer relates to what an organism ―does for a living,‖ so to speak—
decomposers break materials down. The term saprophyte (or saprobe) relates to how an
organism obtains nutrients; saprophytes absorb nutrients from dead and decaying organic
matter. Sometimes the terms decomposer and saprophyte are used to describe the same
organism. For example, all saprophytes are decomposers—they decompose organic materials,
such as corpses, dead plants, and feces. However, not all decomposers are Saprophytes. Some
decomposers decompose materials such as minerals, rocks, inorganic industrial wastes,
rubber, plastic, and textiles. Also note the difference between a saprophyte and a parasite. A
parasite obtains nutrients from living organisms, whereas a Saprophyte obtains nutrients from
dead ones.
REPRODUCTION
One of the ways in which fungi reproduce is by spore production. The two general
types of fungal spores are sexual and asexual spores. Asexual fungal spores are known as
conidia.
Sexual spores are produced by the fusion of two gametes (thus, by the fusion of two
nuclei). Sexual spores have a variety of names (e.g., ascospores, basidiospores, zygospores),
depending on the exact manner in which they are formed. Fungi are classified taxonomically
in accordance with the type of sexual spore that they produce or the type of structure on
which the spores are produced.
Asexual Spores are formed in many different ways, but not by the fusion of gametes.
Asexual spores are also called conidia (singular, conidium). Some species of fungi produce
both asexual and sexual spores. Fungal spores are very resistant structures that are carried
great distances by wind. They are resistant to heat, cold, acids, bases, and other chemicals.
Many people are allergic to fungal spores.
CLASSIFICATION
The two phyla known as ―lower fungi‖ are the Chytridiomycotina (or
Chytridiomycota) and the Zygomycotina (or Zygomycota). The two phyla known as ―higher
fungi‖ are the Ascomycotina (or Ascomycota) and the Basidiomycotina (or Basidiomycota).
The fifth phylum—Deuteromycotina (or Deuteromycota)—contains fungi having no mode of
sexual reproduction, or in which the mode of sexual reproduction is not known.
Chytridiomycotina
Chytridiomycetes is the only class in the Phylum Chytridiomycota. The chytrids are
the simplest and most primitive Eumycota, or true fungi. The evolutionary record shows that
the first recognizable chytrids appeared during the late pre-Cambrian period, more than
500 million years ago. Like all fungi, chytrids have chitin in their cell walls, but one group of
chytrids has both cellulose and chitin in the cell wall. Most chytrids are unicellular; a few
form multicellular organisms and hyphae, which have no septa between cells (coenocytic).
They produce gametes and diploid zoospores that swim with the help of a single flagellum.
Chytridiomycotina live in water (―water moulds‖) and soil.
The ecological habitat and cell structure of chytrids have much in common with
protists. Chytrids usually live in aquatic environments, although some species live on land.
Some species thrive as parasites on plants, insects, or amphibians (Figure 1), while others are
saprobes. The chytrid species Allomyces is well characterized as an experimental organism.
Its reproductive cycle includes both asexual and sexual phases. Allomyces produces diploid
or haploid flagellated zoospores in a sporangium.
Zygomycetes have a thallus of coenocytic hyphae in which the nuclei are haploid
when the organism is in the vegetative stage. The fungi usually reproduce asexually by
producing sporangiospores (Figure 2). The black tips of bread mold are the swollen sporangia
packed with black spores (Figure 3). When spores land on a suitable substrate, they germinate
and produce a new mycelium. Sexual reproduction starts when conditions become
unfavorable. Two opposing mating strains (type + and type –) must be in close proximity for
gametangia from the hyphae to be produced and fuse, leading to karyogamy. The developing
diploid zygospores have thick coats that protect them from desiccation and other hazards.
They may remain dormant until environmental conditions are favorable. When the zygospore
germinates, it undergoes meiosis and produces haploid spores, which will, in turn, grow into a
new organism. This form of sexual reproduction in fungi is called conjugation (although it
differs markedly from conjugation in bacteria and protists), giving rise to the name
―conjugated fungi.‖
Figure 2. Zygomycetes have asexual and asexual life cycles. In the sexual life cycle,
plus and minus mating types conjugate to form a zygosporangium.
Figure 3. Sporangia grow at the end of stalks, which appear as (a) white fuzz seen on
this bread mold, Rhizopus stolonifer. The (b) tips of bread mold are the spore-containing
sporangia. (credit b: modification of work by ―polandeze‖/Flickr)
Ascomycotina
Figure 5. The bright field light micrograph shows ascospores being released from asci
in the fungus Talaromyces flavus var. flavus. (credit: modification of work by Dr. Lucille
Georg, CDC; scale-bar data from Matt Russell)
Basidiomycotina
The fungi in the Phylum Basidiomycota are easily recognizable under a light
microscope by their club-shaped fruiting bodies called basidia (singular, basidium), which are
the swollen terminal cell of a hypha. The basidia, which are the reproductive organs of these
fungi, are often contained within the familiar mushroom, commonly seen in fields after rain,
on the supermarket shelves, and growing on your lawn (Figure 6). These mushroom-
producing basidiomyces are sometimes referred to as ―gill fungi‖ because of the presence of
gill-like structures on the underside of the cap. The ―gills‖ are actually compacted hyphae on
which the basidia are borne. This group also includes shelf fungus, which cling to the bark of
trees like small shelves. In addition, the basidiomycota includes smuts and rusts, which are
important plant pathogens; toadstools, and shelf fungi stacked on tree trunks. Most edible
fungi belong to the Phylum Basidiomycota; however, some basidiomycetes produce deadly
toxins. For example, Cryptococcus neoformans causes severe respiratory illness.
Basidiomycotina include some yeasts, some fungi that cause plant diseases, and the large
―fleshy fungi‖ that live in the woods (e.g., mushrooms, toadstools, bracket fungi, puffballs).
They are also called imperfect fungi as these fungi do not display a sexual phase.
Phylum Deuteromycota is a polyphyletic group where many species are more closely related
to organisms in other phyla than to each other; hence it cannot be called a true phylum and
must, instead, be given the name form phylum. Since they do not possess the sexual structures
that are used to classify other fungi, they are less well described in comparison to other
divisions. Most members live on land, with a few aquatic exceptions. They form visible
mycelia with a fuzzy appearance and are commonly known as mold. Molecular analysis
shows that the closest group to the deuteromycetes is the ascomycetes. In fact, some species,
such as Aspergillus, which were once classified as imperfect fungi, are now classified as
ascomycetes. Reproduction of Deuteromycota is strictly asexual and occurs mostly by
production of asexual conidiospores (Figure 8). Some hyphae may recombine and form
heterokaryotic hyphae. Genetic recombination is known to take place between the different
nuclei.
Yeasts
Single-celled fungi are known as yeasts. Around 1,500 species of fungi are
recognised as yeasts. Some fungi have the ability to shift between living as yeasts or in a
multicellular form with hyphae. Yeasts do not belong to one particular group of fungi but are
found in a range of distantly related fungal groups.
Yeasts are found in soil and water and on the skins of many fruits and vegetables.
Wine, beer, and alcoholic beverages had been produced for centuries before Louis Pasteur
discovered that naturally occurring yeasts on the skin of grapes and other fruits and grains
were responsible for these fermentation processes. The common yeast Saccharomyces
cerevisiae (―baker’s yeast‖) ferments sugar to alcohol under anaerobic conditions. Under
aerobic conditions, this yeast breaks down simple sugars to carbon dioxide and water; for this
reason, it has long been used to leaven light bread. Yeasts are also a good source of nutrients
for humans because they produce many vitamins and proteins. Some yeasts (e.g., Candida
albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans) are human pathogens. C. albicans is the yeast most
frequently isolated from human clinical specimens, and is also the fungus most frequently
isolated from human clinical specimens.
Moulds have great commercial importance. For example, within the Ascomycotina
and the Basidiomycotina classes are found many antibiotic-producing moulds, such as
Penicillium and Cephalosporium. Penicillin, the first antibiotic to be discovered by a scientist,
was actually discovered by accident. Many additional antibiotics were later developed by
culturing soil samples in laboratories and isolating any moulds that inhibited growth of
bacteria. Today, to increase their spectrum of activity, antibiotics can be chemically altered in
pharmaceutical company laboratories, as has been done with the various semisynthetic
penicillins (e.g., ampicillin, amoxicillin, and carbenicillin). Some moulds are also used to
produce large quantities of enzymes (such as amylase, which converts starch to Glucose),
citric acid, and other organic acids that are used commercially. The flavor of cheeses such as
bleu cheese, Roquefort, camembert, and limburger are the result of moulds that grow in them.
Fleshy Fungi
The large fungi that are encountered in forests, such as mushrooms, toadstools,
puffballs, and bracket fungi, are collectively referred to as fleshy Fungi. Obviously, they are
not microorganisms. Mushrooms are a class of true fungi that consist of a network of
filaments or strands (the mycelium) that grow in the soil or in a rotting log, and a fruiting
body (the mushroom that rises above the ground) that forms and releases spores. Each spore,
much like the seed of a plant, germinates into a new organism. Many mushrooms are
delicious to eat, but others, including some that resemble edible fungi, are extremely toxic and
may cause permanent liver and brain damage or death if ingested.
Lichens
As aforementioned Fungi reproduce both sexually and asexually, but actually they
also have symbiotic associations with plants and bacteria. A lichen forms when a fungi and
photosynthetic organisms, such as a green algae or cyanobacteria, form a symbiotic
relationship. A symbiotic relationship is any relationship between different individuals from
different species. In the case of lichens, it is a relationship between a fungi and many single-
celled, photosynthetic organisms.
In lichens, photosynthetic cells are caught in a dense network of fungal hyphae. The
fungi provides the photosynthetic cells with a suitable habitat. The fungi receives the benefit
of excess sugars and nutrients produced by the green algae or cyanobacterium.
USES OF FUNGI
Fungi are one of the most important groups of organisms on the planet as it plays a
vital role in the biosphere and has great economic importance on account of their both
benefits and harmful effects.
1. Recycling – They play a major role in recycling the dead and decayed matter.
2. Food – Mushrooms species are edible which are cultured and are used as food by humans.
3. Medicines – There are many fungi which are used to produce antibiotics, which are used to
control diseases in humans and animals. Penicillin antibiotic is derived from a common fungi
Penicillium.
4. Biocontrol Agents – Fungi are involved in exploiting insects, other small worms and help
in controlling pests. Spores of fungi are used as spray-on crops.
5. Food spoilage – Fungi play a major role in recycling organic material and are also
responsible for major spoilage and economic losses of stored food.
Thallus Organisation
The plant body of true fungi is a thallus. It may be non-mycelial or mycelial. The
non-mycelial forms are unicellular. However, they may form a pseudomycelium by
budding. In mycelial forms, the plant body is made up of thread-like structures called
hyphae(sing. hypha).
Cell Organisation
The cell wall of fungi is mainly made up of chitin and cellulose. Chitin is a polymer
of N-acetyl glucosamine. On the other hand, cellulose is nothing but a polymer of d-
glucose. Besides, the cell wall may be made up of cellulose-glycogen, cellulose-chitin
or polygalactosamine-galactan.
Nutrition
The fungi are achlorophyllous organisms. Hence, they cannot prepare their food.
They live as heterotrophs i.e., as parasites and saprophytes. Some forms live
symbiotically with other green forms.
Parasites: They usually obtain their food from a living host. A parasite could be
facultative or obligate. The obligate parasites survive and settle on a living host
throughout their life. The facultative parasites are saprophytes that have turned
parasitic.
Saprophytes: These organisms procure their nutrition from dead and decaying organic
matter. The saprophytes are either obligate or facultative. An obligate saprophyte
remains saprophytic during its entire lifetime. While a facultative saprophyte is
nothing but a parasite that has secondarily become saprophytic.
Symbionts: Some fungi develop in symbiotic association with the green or blue-green
algae. These constitute the lichen. Here the algal component is photosynthetic. While
the fungal component plays the reproductive papart
Reproduction
Vegetative Reproduction
Budding: Some unicelled forms multiply by budding. A bud arises as a papilla on the
parent cell and then after its enlargement separates into a completely independent
entity.
Fission: A few unicelled forms like yeasts and slime moulds multiply by this process.
REFERENCES:
Biology Dictionary.
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cjmlwJMVtKEuNIxuZaGmFboondsHE>
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fungi/?fbclid=IwAR3SqVpUHM17oa8DlQUqSU5gnB8D2xtd7OzCoOvzHigAv0M-
qUF-0whik20>
<http://pediaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Difference-Between-Mold-and-Fungus-
1.jpg>
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-biology2xmaster/chapter/classification-of-fungi/
https://biologydictionary.net/fungi/
https://www.toppr.com/guides/biology/biological-classification/kingdom-fungi/
DOCUMENTATION: