Fungi

Fungi

First fungi were

probably flagellated.

– First fossils – 480

million years ago

(Ordovician Period)

– Molecular Clock

suggests 1 billion

years ago

(Precambrian).

General Characteristics

Primarily

terrestrial

Filamentous

– hyphae

coenocytic

septate

– mycelium

– haustoria

Fungal Hyphae

General Characteristics(animal-like)

Heterotrophic

– absorption

(saprobes)

– parasitic

– mutualistic

Cell Wall: Chitin

Store sugar as

glycogen

Fungal Reproduction

Asexual

–haploid spores (conidia/sporangia)

Sexual

–plasmogamy (dikaryon)

–karyogamy (diploid)

–Syngamy (diploid)

Fungal Classification

Chytrids

Nuclerariids

Zygomycetes

Fungi

Opisthokonts Glomeromycetes

Choanoflagellates

Ascomycetes

Animals

Basidiomycetes

Fungal Classification

Division: Chytrids

Have flagella

Coenocytic hyphae or unicellular

Cell wall: chitin

Saprobes or parasites

May be most primitive fungi

Division: Zygomycetes

Division: Zygomycetes

Coenocytic Fungi

Mostly terrestrial (live

on decaying material

Example: Rhizopus

(Black bread mold)

Uses: birth control pills,

meat tenderizers,

margarine coloring

Division: Glomeromycetes

Arbuscular mycorrhizae

– Coenocytic Fungi

– Mutualistic - associated

with plant roots

– increases surface area

for the absorption of

water and nutrients

Division: Ascomycetes

Divison: Ascomycetes

Septate fungi (sac

fungi)

Saprobes, mutualistic

Examples: Dutch Elm

Disease, yeasts,

truffles, some molds

Uses: pathogens, food,

cooking

Division: Ascomycetes(Deuteromycota)

Imperfect fungi (no sexual cycle)

Examples: Penicillium, Aspergillus, Predatory fungi

Division: Basidiomycetes

Division: Basidiomycetes

Septate Fungi (Club

fungi)

Saprobes, parasites,

mutualistic

Examples: mushrooms,

toadstools, puffballs,

shelf fungi, rusts, smuts

Uses: Food

Division: Basidiomycetes

Fairy Rings

Lichen Mutualistic -

association with a

green algae or

cyanobacteria

and an

ascomycetes or

basidiomycetes

Pioneer

organisms

Microsporidia Are they Fungi?

– Parasitic

Loss of organelles

Tiny organelles

derived from

mitochondria

– Cause disease in

people with immune

deficiency

– Used as pest control

Ecological Impacts

Decomposers

Pathogens

Food Production