Kingdom Kingdom FungiFungi

Fungi In The Scheme Of LifeFungi In The Scheme Of Life

PlantaeFungi

Monera

Animalia

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Protista

Why Fungi Are Why Fungi Are ImportantImportantImportant as decomposersSpoil foodProduce antibioticsCause disease in plants

Why Fungi Are ImportantWhy Fungi Are ImportantCause disease in animals (Athletes

foot, yeast infections, etc.)Poison humans and animals Important food sourceProduce important fuels and

industrial chemicals (ie. ethanol)

During the American Revolution (1775-1783), more British ships were destroyed by wood-digesting fungi than by enemy attack.

Fungal CharacteristicsFungal CharacteristicsEukaryoticMulticellular (with one exception)HeterotrophicAbsorb nutrients - may be saprobes

(absorb from dead material), parasites, or mutualistic symbionts (with algae make lichen).

Fungal CharacteristicsFungal CharacteristicsSecrete powerful enzymesCell walls contain chitin, a

polysaccharide also found in arthropod exoskeletons

Lack flagella

Vegetative body consists of mycelia made up of networks of hyphae

Hyphae - Long threads of cells designed to maximize surface area and also transport nutrients

The Body Plan of FungiThe Body Plan of Fungi

HyphaeHyphae Hyphae are designed to increase the surface area

of fungi and thus facilitate absorption May grow fast, up to 1 km per day, as they spread

throughout a food source In some fungi the cytoplasm in the hyphae are not

divided by cell walls. This continuous cytoplasm contains several nuclei.

In other fungi septa may be present. Septa partly divide the hyphae into compartments but the cytoplasm can still flow moving nutrients through out the fungus

HyphaeHyphae

Septa

No Septa

Pores

Classification of FungiClassification of Fungi Classification of fungi is based on life cycle, specifically

reproductive structures. Fungi can reproduce both sexually and asexually by means of

spores There are three major phyla of fungi, classified by their pattern of

sexual reproduction. These are the conjugation fungi, the sac fungi, and the club fungi. A fourth phylum called the imperfect fungi includes thousands of

fungi where their sexual reproduction pattern is unknown.

Zygomycota (Conjugation Fungi)Zygomycota (Conjugation Fungi)Zygomycota - Zyg = yolk - Zygote

forming fungi. Eg. Rhizopus (common bread mould)

About 600 described speciesMostly terrestrialRoot like hyphae, called rhizoids,

anchor the fungus, secrete digestive enzymes, and absorb nutrients.

Zygomycota (Conjugation Fungi)Zygomycota (Conjugation Fungi) Other hyphae,

called stolons, grow in a network over the surface of the food. Give rise to sporangiophores, which are the reproductive hyphae.

Zygomycota (Conjugation Fungi)Zygomycota (Conjugation Fungi) Usually reproduce asexually by spore formation. Conjugation occurs when hyphae of different

strains touch. The hyphae swell and produce a gamete-

producing structure. The wall between the two hyphae break and the

nuclei fuse to form a number of diploid (2n) nuclei.

Forms a zygospore which allows the fungus to survive harsh environmental conditions. Will grow again when conditions are favourable.

Ascomycota (The Sac Fungi)Ascomycota (The Sac Fungi)

Ascomycota - Asc = sack - Truffles, yeasts, powdery mildew, morels & cup fungi.

Largest group of fungi All are multi-cellular with the exception of yeasts.

Ascomycota (The Sac Fungi)Ascomycota (The Sac Fungi) Hyphae have septa. Sac Fungi produce

two kinds of spores :

Sexual spores – ascospores

Asexual spores – conidia

Ascospores develop within a saclike ascus.

Ascomycota (The Sac Fungi)Ascomycota (The Sac Fungi) The visible portion of the

fungus is the fruiting body which contains the spore bearing sacs (asci).

Beneath the surface is a large mycelium.

Some members of this group cause plant diseases.

Basidiomycota (The Club Fungi)Basidiomycota (The Club Fungi)

Basidiomycota - Basidium = club About 25,000 described species including mushrooms,

toadstools, puffballs, rusts and smuts. Important decomposers of wood because of their ability to

hydrolyze lignin

Basidiomycota (The Club Fungi)Basidiomycota (The Club Fungi) The fruiting body only

grows when conditions are favourable.

The main part of this fungus is the mycelium which grows underground.

The largest living organism in the world is a club fungus (a honey mushroom) in Oregon. It’s mycelium covers an area of about 2200 acres; the size of 1220 soccer fields.

Basidiomycota (The Club Fungi)Basidiomycota (The Club Fungi) Asexual reproduction

is uncommon Sexual reproduction

produces basidiospores which are produced in the fruiting body or “club” of the fungus.

Basidiomycota (The Club Fungi)Basidiomycota (The Club Fungi)

The mushroom consists of a stalk and a cap. The undersurface has many “gills” that are made up

of hyphae. Each gill has many basidia where the spores are

produced.

Basidiomycota (The Club Fungi)Basidiomycota (The Club Fungi) Many types of mushrooms are edible but many are

also extremely poisonous. There are three main species of wild mushrooms

which can be harvested in Saskatchewan: morels, chanterelles and pine mushrooms.

Since the different species are harvested at different times, these wild mushrooms can be harvested throughout the growing season.

Make sure you are able to positively identify any wild mushroom you find before eating it as it may be your last meal !!!!

ChanterellesChanterelles

Pine Pine MushroomMushroom

Deuteromycota (Imperfect Fungi)Deuteromycota (Imperfect Fungi)Deuteromycota - Deuter = second -

The imperfect fungiThese organisms exhibit all the

characteristics of fungi, but have not been observed reproducing sexually

As classification is based on sexual reproduction, Deutoeromycetes cannot be definitively placed in any phylum

Deuteromycota (Imperfect Fungi)Deuteromycota (Imperfect Fungi)

Beneficial - Pennicillium Harmful – Athlete’s foot

LichensLichens Lichens – Symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae. Over 25,000 species described. Some lichens are estimated to be more than 4500 years old. Ascomycetes are usually the fungal component although some

basidiomycetes lichens are known. Hyphae account for most mass. Fungus provides moist environment protection, support and minerals. Algae provides fixed carbon (photosynthesis).