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Introduction

The Kingdom Fungi includes eukaryotic, generally

multicellular organisms with an unusual form of
multicellularity. Their cells are not entirely divided by cell
walls, so cytoplasm and even nuclei can flow between
individual cells. The cell walls are made of chitin, a protein
also found in the exoskeletons of arthropods, which
reflects the close relationship between the Fungi and
Animalia kingdoms. They are more closely related to each
other than they are to plants.

Fungi are split between acting as parasites, which prey on

insects, plants, and animals, and saprophytes, which
primarily aid in the breakdown of dead organic material.
Fungi can also live in symbiotic relationships with other
organisms. Lichens are the result of a symbiotic
relationship between a fungus and a photosynthesizing
organism. Other fungi live in symbiosis with plant roots to
increase the root surface area.

Fungi can be divided into three groups based on

relatedness and shared reproductive habits:
Basidiomycota, Ascomycota, and Zygomycota.
Basidiomycota are characterized by the presence of
basidia and dikaryotic fruiting bodies and include the
mushrooms, puffballs, and shelf fungi. Ascomycota are
characterized by the presence of asci and include such
diverse organisms as the cup fungi and mildews as well as
the unicellular fungi, yeast. Zygomycota are characterized
by the presence of a thick-coated zygospore and include
bread and other molds, plant and animal parasites, as well
as many plant-root symbionts.