CHAPTER 23: Fungi

1. CHAPTER 23: Fungi High School Biology Class

2. Kingdom Fungi • Members of the Kingdom Fungi are a diverse group of over 100,000 species living in many different environments. • Fungi differ from other organisms in several ways, including their structure, reproduction abilities, and in their method of obtaining nutrients.

3. What is a Fungi? • Fungi – an organism that lacks chlorophyll, produces spores, and absorbs food from living or dead organisms. • Molds, mildew, rusts, smuts, mushrooms, and yeasts are all different types of fungi.

4. What is a Fungi? • All Fungi are eukaryotic and heterotrophic. • Additionally, most fungi are multicellular and nonmotile organisms.

5. Fungi: No Chlorophyll Non-Photosynthetic Reproduce by Spores Cell Walls of Chitin Plants: Chlorophyll Photosynthetic Reproduce by Seeds Cell Walls of Cellulose Fungi versus Plants Fungi resemble Plants in some ways, and consequently were once classified as Plants. Today taxonomists separate them by:

6. Fungi Facts • Scientists reason that fungi, like all other eukaryotes, arose from older more ancient prokaryotes, possibly by endosymbiosis. • More specifically, scientists hypothesize that fungi may have more recent ancestors to the fungi-like protists.

7. Fungi Facts • According to fossil record, all modern phyla of fungi had evolved 300 million years ago. • Biologists also hypothesize that Fungi colonized land at about the same time that the early Plants did.

8. Characteristics of Fungi 1) Fungi are all eukaryotic, which means that their cells have a nucleus. 2) Fungi are all heterotrophic, which means they obtain energy from environment. {Actually by digesting their food outside of their body and then absorbing it.} Cell Wall Nucleus

9. Characteristics of Fungi 3) Most Fungi are nonmotile, which means they cannot move on their own. 4) Also most Fungi are multicellular, although a few may be unicellular.

10. Characteristics of Fungi 5) Fungal cells contain chitin (a polysaccharide found in the tough, outer cell walls). 6) Fungi may be saprophytes (survive off of dead organisms), parasites, or symbionts.

11. Characteristics of Fungi 7) Fungi have long, slender, filamentous bodies called hyphae that at times appear to be tightly woven together. 8) Fungi exhibit nuclear mitosis, which is what happens when the nuclear envelope remains intact while the chromosomes divide inside the nucleus.

12. Specialized Parts • Fungi have parts that are unique only to their kingdom: A) Hyphae – slender filaments or threads that make up the body of a fungi (except yeast). Unicellular yeast Hyphae

13. Specialized Parts • Fungi have parts that are unique only to their kingdom: B) Mycelium – fungi bodies composed of tangled masses of hyphae.

14. Fungi Reproduction • Fungi reproduce asexually when they bud off or form spores by mitosis. • The spores (consist of a nucleus and dehydrated cell) get released into the atmosphere and carried to new places where under the right conditions can begin to grow. Budding -›

15. Fungi Reproduction • Fungi reproduce sexually when hyphae from two mating types of fungi meet and fuse together to form a sexually reproductive structure. Hyphae Fusion Reproductive Structure

16. Fungi Location • Fungi live in the soil and on your body, in your house and on plants and animals, in freshwater and saltwater. • Thus, Fungi appear to be nearly everywhere.

17. The Phylums of Fungi • Traditionally, fungi have been classified according to their structures and form of sexual reproduction, however, new classification techniques are shedding more light on their taxonomy: • Deutromycetes • Zygomycetes • Ascomycetes • Basidiomycetes

18. A. Deuteromycetes – Imperfect Fungi • The one characteristic shared by all Deuteromycota is an apparent absence of a sexual reproduction stage. # 1 # 2 # 3 # 4 • Examples: 1) Penicillium – important antibiotic 2) Aspergillus – "allergy"-type illness 3) Ringworm – skin disease 4) Athlete’s Foot – foot disease

19. B. Zygomycetes – Common Molds • Most species of Zygomycota are terrestrial organisms found primarily in soil and feed on decaying plant and animal matter. • Common molds reproduce both asexually and sexually by producing a structure called a zygospore (although its usually asexual reproduction).

20. Zygomycota

21. B. Zygomycetes – Common Molds • Examples: 1) Allergies – caused by spores 2) Molds – (black) bread Rhizopus stolonifera

22. C. Ascomycetes – Sac Fungi • Ascomycota are distinguished by the presence of saclike compartments where sexual production of spores form, called an ascus. • Sac fungi reproduce asexually by budding off and sexually by mating hyphae that produce an ascocarp.

23. Ascomycota Ascus Spores

24. C. Ascomycetes – Sac Fungi • Examples: 1) Morels 2) Truffles 3) Yeast 4) Dutch Elm Disease 5) Chestnut Blight # 1 # 2 # 3 # 4 # 5

25. D. Basidiomycetes – Club Fungi • Basidiomycota produce small club-like reproductive structures called basidia during sexual reproduction. • Club Fungi seldom reproduce asexually and usually reproduce sexually by mating hyphae that produce an basidiocarp.

26. Basidiomycota

27. D. Basidiomycetes – Club Fungi • Examples: 1) Mushrooms 2) Toadstools 3) Puffballs 4) Shelf Fungi 5) Rusts # 1 # 2 # 3 # 4 # 5

28. Symbiotic Relationships • Mycorrhiza - type of mutualistic relationship between a fungi and a plants’ roots. • The fungi supplies nutrients and minerals while the plant provides carbohydrates (sugars). • Over 90% of plants contain fungi on their roots.

29. Symbiotic Relationships • Lichen – type of mutualistic relationship between a fungi and a photosynthetic partner (such as a green algae or cyanobacteria) • Fungi supplies the water and anchors while the photosynthetic partner supplies the nutrients (nitrogen, sulfer, etc.).

30. Fungi Diseases • Fungal disease is a major concern for humans because fungi attack not only us but, also our food source. • Mold spores can cause mild to serious allergies in some people, such as, sniffling, sneezing, and respiratory distress.

31. Fungi Diseases • Fungi can also infect and poison humans.

32. Fungi Are Beneficial As Well: 1. Many Fungi are valuable food sources for humans.  - Yeast, such as Saccharomyces, is an important nutritional supplement because it contains vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. - Used in baking, brewing, and wine-making.

33. Fungi Are Beneficial As Well: 2. Mushrooms are an important food. - Agaricus (White Button), shiitake, and portabella mushrooms are often found in grocery stores.

34. Fungi Are Beneficial As Well: 3. Fungi are used to produce chemicals that are important to the food-processing industry. - Citric Acid is used in soft drinks and candies.  - Gluconic Acid is fed to chickens to enhance the hardness of eggshells.

35. Fungi Are Beneficial As Well: 4. Fungi are also used in food production.

36. Fungi Are Beneficial As Well: 5. Fungi work along with bacteria and protists to decompose the waste and remains of dead plants and animals. - Decomposers help recycle nutrients and return them back to the environment.

37. Fungi Are Beneficial As Well: • Without decomposers, entire ecosystems would collapse, because many organisms would not obtain enough nutrients to stay alive.

38. Fungi Are Beneficial As Well: 6. Fungi are also used as medicines. - Penicillium, Ampicillium, Amoxycillium

39. Any Questions? • “Appearances may be deceiving.” --Aesop • “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” --Sir Winston Churchill