Life Sciences: Basic structure of Fungi

Grade 11
Lesson 4

Presenter: Dr Grizelda van Wyk

 CLASSIFICATION OF ORGANISMS
Scientists
have placed all
the organisms
into specific
groups so that
it is easier to
study them.
There are five
groups called
kingdoms.
 Fungi

Macroscopic Microscopic

Mushrooms Unicellular yeasts

Multicellular thread- like

moulds (bread mould)
 FUNGI ARE EUKARYOTIC

Fungi are eukaryotic

organisms – they
Either unicellular
have a defined
or multicellular
nucleus bound by a
nuclear membrane
 SAPROPHYTIC
 Fungi are saprophytic - feeds on dead or decaying tissues of other
organisms
 This helps eradicate dead matter in the environment.
 PARASITIC FUNGI
Parasitism, one organism living off another at the expense of the other organism
 FUNGI CAN BE PATHOGENS
Pathogens are disease causing organisms
 STRUCTURE OF FUNGI - MUSHROOMS
•. The bodies of multicellular fungi are made up of threads called
hyphae
• Hyphae cluster together to form mycelium which make up the
thallus or fruiting body of the fungus. Inside hyphae are
cytoplasm, nuclei, and various organelles.
• The main functions of hyphae are absorbing nutrients from the
environment and providing a transportation network throughout
the fungus
 STRUCTURE OF FUNGI - MUSHROOMS
WITH SEPTA
• Some fungi have hyphae divided
into cellular compartments by
walls called septa.
• Septa have tiny perforations
which allow molecules,
cytoplasm, and sometimes
organelles to move between the
cells.
WITHOUT SEPTA
• Non-septate hyphae are the
result of the nucleus repeatedly
dividing but not the cytoplasm.
• This can result in many nuclei
(multinucleated) in the
cytoplasm along with other
organelles
 CHITIN

Chitin is a fibrous
Unlike plants, substance consisting of
polysaccharides, which is
fungi cell walls the major constituent in
contain chitin the exoskeleton of
arthropods and the cell
walls of fungi
 ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION

Asexual
reproduction or
budding in
unicellular yeast
 ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION: MULTICELLUAR FUNGI
Rhizopus/bread mould
In
multicellular
fungi asexual
reproduction
is by means
of spores
Rhizopus
ACTIVITY 1
Identify the parts labelled A-E . (5)

A – rhizoid/hyphae 
B – sporangiophore 
C – spore 
D – columella 
E - septum 
ACTIVITY 2
Use the scale line to calculate the length of the
structure labelled C. (4)

Measured length of C = 2,5 mm 

Scale shows 18 mm = 60µm

Length of C is : 2,5 x 60  = 8,3 µm 

18 
 ACTIVITY 3
During the holidays a learner forgot to take his lunch box out of his school bag. Inside were some
uneaten sandwiches. At the beginning of the following term his mother found black, furry patches
growing on the left-overbread.
1.Identify the organism most likely to be responsible for
the growth on the bread.

Rhizopus

2.Name three conditions which made the lunch box a suitable environment for the organism
mentioned in Question1 to grow.

adequate food , moisture , warmth

 ACTIVITY 3
During the holidays a learner forgot to take his lunch box out of his school bag. Inside were some
uneaten sandwiches. At the beginning of thefollowing term his mother found black, furry patches
growing on the left-overbread.

3.Name three ways in which this type of growth on bread and other foods can be prevented.

drying, canning, freezing, salting, vacuum packing

THANK YOU