Kingdom Of Fungi

Kingdom fungi

•         Eukaryotic 

•         Do not contain chlorophyll   

•         Absorptive heterotrophs - digest food first & then absorb it into their bodies

•         Release digestive enzymes to break down organic material or their host

•         Store food energy as glycogen

•         Most are saprobes – live on other dead organisms

•         Important decomposers & recyclers of nutrients in the environment

•         Most are multicellular, but some unicellular like yeast

•         Some are internal or external parasites.

•         Reproduce by sexual & asexual spores

•         Classified by their sexual reproductive structures

•         Grow best in warm, moist environments preferring shade

•         Includes yeasts, molds, mushrooms, ringworm, puffballs, rusts, smuts, etc.

                                                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                                                                    

	Phylum Zygomycota	Phylum  Ascomycota	Phylum Basidiomycota
Sexual spores	Zygospores	Ascospores	Basidiospores
Sexual reproductive structure	Zygosporangium	Asci ( ascus ~singular ),  found within ascocarps	Basidia ( basidium ~sing. ),  found in basidiocarps
Hyphae	Coenocytic	Septate	Septate
Type of reproduction	Asexual and sexual	Asexual and sexual	Sexual  (asexual reproduction: uncommon )
Asexual reproduction	Nonmotile spores formed in sporangium	Conidia ( spores ) dispersed off from end of conidiophores	Conidia ( uncommon )
Common types	Black bread molds	Penicillium, Saccharomyces, Molds, leaf-spot fungi, yeasts	Mushrooms, bracket fungi

Important of fungi

i.Decomposers

•         These serve as an important component of the ecosystem. They release hydrolytic enzymes into the substratum and break down the complex organic compound into simpler ones, release minerals and make them available to plants for recycling.

•         Examples: Rhizopus, Mucor, Agaricus, Penicillium.

ii. Symbions (Mutualists)

•         Fungi that have a mutualistically

           benificial relationship with other living organism.

•         Mycorrhizae: associations of fungi with plants roots.

iii. Pathogens

•         They live on or inside the body of the other living organisms (called hosts) obtain ready-made food from the latter and produce a number of diseases in them.

•         Some members cause ring worm and athlete's foot.

         

iv. Commercial importance in food  production (Fermented food)

•         Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes are economically important fungi. Some of them are used in various industries .

•         Yeast is used widely by brewers and bakers to prepare alcohol and in raising bread. It is also the main source of vitamin B and hormones like cytokinins.

v. Pharmaceutical (Penicillin)

•         The fungus Penicillium is used for the production of antibiotic penicillin.

•         Penicillium notatum is a species of fungus that was used as the original source of the antibiotic penicillin.