Fungi examples

Fungi are eukaryotic organisms, like plants and animals. Unlike plants, they don't perform Although most people think one difference between animals and fungi is that fungi are immobile, some fungi are motile. The real difference is that fungi contain a molecule called beta-glucan, a type of fiber, in their cell walls. While all fungi share some common characteristics, they can be broken into groups. However, scientists who study fungi (mycologists) disagree on the best taxonomic structure. A simple layman's classification is to divide them into mushrooms, yeast, and molds. Scientists tend to recognize seven subkingdoms or phyla of fungi. In the past, fungi were classified according to their physiology, shape, and color. Modern systems rely on molecular genetics and reproductive strategies to group them. Keep in mind that the following phyla aren't set in stone. Mycologists even disagree about the names of species ANDREW MCCLENAGHAN / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty Images The most familiar fungi probably belong to the subkingdom Dikarya, which includes all mushrooms, most pathogens, yeast, and molds. Subkingdom Dikarya is broken into two phyla, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. These phyla and the other five that have been proposed are differentiated based mainly on sexual reproductive structures. Phylum Ascomycota The largest phylum of fungi is Ascomycota. These fungi are called ascomycetes, or sac fungi because their meiotic spores (ascospores) are found in a sac called an as...

CONTENTS • Mycorrhizae Definition • Types of Mycorrhizae • Ectomycorrhiza • Endomycorrhiza • Examples of Mycorrhiza • Orchid Mycorrhiza • Arbuscular Mycorrhiza • Ericaceous Mycorrhiza • Arbutoid Mycorrhiza • Ectotrophic Mycorrhiza • Plant Benefits from Mycorrhizae • Fungi Benefits from Plants • Quiz Index Mycorrhizae Definition Mycorrhizae literally translates to “fungus-root.” Mycorrhiza defines a (generally) mutually beneficial relationship between the root of a plant and a fungus that colonizes the plant root. In many plants, mycorrhiza are fungi that grow inside the plant’s roots, or on the surfaces of the roots. The plant and the fungus have a mutually beneficial relationship, where the fungus facilitates water and nutrient uptake in the plant, and the plant provides food and nutrients created by photosynthesis to the fungus. This exchange is a significant factor in nutrient cycles and the ecology, evolution, and physiology of plants. In some cases, the relationship is not mutually beneficial. Sometimes, the fungus is mildly harmful to the plant, and at other times, the plant feeds from the fungus. Not all plants will have mycorrhizal associations. In environments in which water and nutrients are abundant in the soil, plants do not require the assistance of mycorrhizal fungi, nor might mycorrhizal fungi germinate and grow in such environments. Types of Mycorrhizae There are two predominant types of mycorrhizae: ectomycorrhizae, and endomycorrhizae. They are classified...

Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: • Explain why the study of fungi such as yeast and molds is within the discipline of microbiology • Describe the unique characteristics of fungi • Describe examples of asexual and sexual reproduction of fungi • Compare the major groups of fungi in this chapter, and give examples of each • Identify examples of the primary causes of infections due to yeasts and molds • Identify examples of toxin-producing fungi • Classify fungal organisms according to major groups The fungi comprise a diverse group of organisms that are heterotrophic and typically saprozoic. In addition to the well-known macroscopic fungi (such as mushrooms and molds), many unicellular yeasts and spores of macroscopic fungi are microscopic. For this reason, fungi are included within the field of microbiology. Fungi are important to humans in a variety of ways. Both microscopic and macroscopic fungi have medical relevance, with some pathogenic species that can cause mycoses (illnesses caused by fungi). Some pathogenic fungi are opportunistic, meaning that they mainly cause infections when the host’s immune defenses are compromised and do not normally cause illness in healthy individuals. Fungi are important in other ways. They act as decomposers in the environment, and they are critical for the production of certain foods such as cheeses. Fungi are also major sources of antibiotics, such as penicillin from the fungus Penicillium. Character...

Learning Objectives • Place fungi on a phylogenetic tree • Identify and describe the key adaptations unique to fungi (cell walls made of chitin and external digestion), including morphological, life cycle, and metabolic traits • Describe the symbiotic relationship of fungi with plants and pathological relationships with other organisms • Explain ecosystem services of fungi and human nutrition applications • Explain why the colonization of land plants was facilitated by fungi Many species of fungus produce the familiar mushroom (a) which is a reproductive structure. This (b) coral fungus displays brightly colored fruiting bodies. This electron micrograph shows (c) the spore-bearing structures of Aspergillus, a type of toxic fungi found mostly in soil and plants. (credit: mushroom: modification of work by Chris Wee; credit fungus: modification of work by Cory Zanker; credit Aspergillus: modification of work by Janice Haney Carr, Robert Simmons, CDC; scale-bar data from Matt Russell) Fungi are eukaryotes with an enormous variety of body plans and, along with land plants and animals, are one of the major evolutionary lineages to occupy land. While scientists have identified about 100,000 species of fungi, this is only a fraction of the 1.5 million species of fungus likely present on Earth. Edible mushrooms, yeasts, black mold, and the producer of the antibiotic penicillin, Penicillium notatum, are all fungi. And currently the largest (and perhaps, oldest) living organism on Ea...

[ "article:topic", "authorname:openstax", "mycology", "yeast", "obligate aerobes", "obligate anaerobes", "coenocytic hypha", "faculative anaerobes", "haustoria", "heterothallic", "homothallic", "hypha", "karyogamy", "mycelium", "plasmogamy", "saprobe", "septa", "sporangium", "thallus", "showtoc:no", "license:ccby", "licenseversion:40", "program:openstax" ] Skills to Develop • List the characteristics of fungi • Describe the composition of the mycelium • Describe the mode of nutrition of fungi • Explain sexual and asexual reproduction in fungi Although humans have used yeasts and mushrooms since prehistoric times, until recently, the biology of fungi was poorly understood. Up until the mid-20th century, many scientists classified fungi as plants. Fungi, like plants, arose mostly sessile and seemingly rooted in place. They possess a stem-like structure similar to plants, as well as having a root-like fungal mycelium in the soil. In addition, their mode of nutrition was poorly understood. Progress in the field of fungal biology was the result of mycology: the scientific study of fungi. Based on fossil evidence, fungi appeared in the pre-Cambrian era, about 450 million years ago. Molecular biology analysis of the fungal genome demonstrates that fungi are more closely related to animals than plants. They are a polyphyletic group of organisms that share characteristics, rather than sharing a single common ancestor. Career Connection: Mycologist Mycologists are biologists who stu...

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