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Fungi

Fungi. Life cycle Connection to Human Diseases Importance of Fungi. Characteristics. Heterotrophic (depend on other organisms for nutrients) Cell walls containing chitin (exoskeleton of insects and crustaceans) Fossils resembling fungi date back around 900 million years.

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Fungi

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  1. Fungi Life cycle Connection to Human Diseases Importance of Fungi

  2. Characteristics • Heterotrophic (depend on other organisms for nutrients) • Cell walls containing chitin (exoskeleton of insects and crustaceans) • Fossils resembling fungi date back around 900 million years

  3. Once classified as Plant Kingdom • Structure has been adapted for two main functions: absorption of nutrients and reproduction

  4. Nutrients • Feed on dead or decaying matter (saprophytes) • Nutrients are digested externally before being absorbed (extracellular) • When multicellular, nutrient absorption takes place in the mycelium

  5. Mycelium: mesh of microscopic branching filaments (hypha) that are usually on or below the surface where the organism grows or is attached (substrate)

  6. The walls between adjacent cells may be incomplete, producing a multinucleate hypha

  7. Often the only visible parts of a fungus are its reproductive structures

  8. Structure of a Typical Fungi • hyphae - white, fibrous structures • stolons - hyphae that run horizontally along the surface of the bread • rhizoids - hyphae that penetrate into the bread • sporangiophores - hyphae that grow upwards from the surface of the bread • sporangia - white (young) or black (older) spheres found at the tips of the sporangiophores. These are filled with tiny spores • zygotes - small dark structures found where two hyphae meet

  9. Examples of Fungi • Water moulds • Common moulds (e.g. bread) • Yeast, morels, truffles • Mushrooms, shelf fungi • Parasitic fungi

  10. Reproduction • Both sexual and asexual • Always involve production of spores (reproductive cells)

  11. Haploid spores produced in a sporangia sac • Two haploid spores can fuse to produce a dikaryotic cell which will later fuse (sex) and grow into a new fungus • Produce asexually by fragmentation

  12. Connection to Human Diseases • Ringworm • Athlete’s Foot • “Destroying Angel’s” • “Death Cap” (most dangerous)

  13. Importance of Fungi • Decomposer in nature’s recycling system • Yeast- makes bread, wine and bear • Penicillum produces antibiotic • Mushrooms- food items

  14. Symbiotic relationship with another organism (both partners benefit) • E.g. Lichen (green alga or cyanobacterium and fungus) -fungus provides structural support and minerals, carbon dioxide and water -Share carbohydrates from carbon dioxide

  15. Bread Box Nightmare Revisited (as a group of 3) • Word Document on Myclass

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