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Fungi – good guys or bad guys?

Fungi – good guys or bad guys?. The Roles of Fungi. Diverse Roles of Fungi. Pathogens : cause illness & disease in plants or animals. Diverse Roles of Fungi. Decomposers : break down dead material & return the organic material to the soil.

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Fungi – good guys or bad guys?

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  1. Fungi – good guys or bad guys?

  2. The Roles of Fungi

  3. Diverse Roles of Fungi • Pathogens: cause illness & disease in plants or animals

  4. Diverse Roles of Fungi • Decomposers: break down dead material & return the organic material to the soil If all the decomposers suddenly vanished, the soil would quickly become depleted of nutrients & all life would cease to exist!

  5. Mold in Capri Sun?! Because Capri Sun doesn’t contain preservatives, mold grows very easily!

  6. Diverse Roles of Fungi • Food Source: mushrooms, bleu cheese, production of soy sauce, bread, alcohol Soy Sauce Edible Mushrooms Truffles

  7. Yeast & Alcoholic Fermentation • This is what makes bread rise. • CO2makes the “holes” in the bread, & the alcohol evaporates. • Makes alcoholic beverages alcoholic. • Alcohol stays in the beverage & the CO2 makes it bubble. Budding Yeast

  8. Diverse Roles of Fungi • Some Poisonous: can cause destruction of cells & organ failure, neurological symptoms, & gastrointestinal irritation “Angel of Death” Amanita muscaria

  9. Diverse Roles of Fungi • Medicinal Purposes • Penicillin: toxin produced by the mold Penicilliumnotatumthat is widely used as an antibiotic. It kills bacteria by interfering with its ability to synthesize cell wall. bacteria penicillin

  10. Penicillin was discovered in 1928 & was a HUGE deal!

  11. Diverse Roles of Fungi • Medicinal Purposes b. Cyclosporine: an immunosuppressant drug widely used in organ transplant patients to reduce the activity of the patient's immune system to decrease the risk of organ rejection. Cyclosporine is made by the fungus Tolypocladiuminflatum.

  12. Diverse Roles of Fungi 6. Mutualistic Symbiotic Relationships a. Lichens: not a single organism, but rather a combination of 2organisms, an algae & a fungus. • The algae provides energy by photosynthesis & the fungus provides water & minerals to the algae.

  13. Lichen = Algae + Fungus Lichens often grow on rocks or in environments where few organisms can grow.

  14. Diverse Roles of Fungi • Mutualistic Symbiotic Relationships • Mycorrhizae: plant roots entangled with fungal hyphae • The fungus releases nutrients from the soil & aids in the absorption of water by the plant roots. The plant provides energy by photosynthesis to the fungus.

  15. Mycorrhizae = Plant Root + Fungus About 90% of plants on Earth participate in a Mycorrhizal relationship to survive!

  16. Before you leave… • Answer the following question on a sheet of notebook paper (share!): Knowing what you know about fungi & its various roles in the environment, what do you think would happen if all of the fungi on Earth suddenly vanished? Do you think the effects would be positive or negative? Explain!

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