The five kingdoms of life

The broadest and most fundamental categories in which life forms are placed are the kingdoMs. Today, the fivekingdom system is generally accepted. These five kingdoms are: Kingdom Monera kingdom Protista kingdom Fungi Kingdom Plantae kingdom Animalia Review of terms Before describing the characteristics of the organisms in each kingdom, we'll review a few terms: Prokaryotic: the primitive cell, with no nucleus and few organelles. Eukaryotic: the more complex cell type, containing a nucleus and different organelles. Autotrophic: cells or organisms that make their own food, through photosynthesis. Heterotrophic: cells or organisms that must obtain food from outside sources. 'Basic description of the five kingdoms ' Monerans: This kingdom is made up of one-celled prokaryotic organisms, otherwise known as bacteria. Some of these bacteria are photosynthetic, i.E. Autotrophic, and others are heterotrophic. This is the only kingdom made up of prokaryotic cells. Protista: this kingdom is also made up of one-celled organisms, however these are eukaryotic cells. like monerans, protistans include both autotrophs and heterotrophs. Fungi: Fungi are multicellular and heterotrophic, containing eukaryotic cells. They can be called "Absorptive" heterotrophs because they secrete digestive enzymes onto food sources and then absorb the externally digested material. Plantae: This kingdom, of course, is made up of plants, which are autotrophic and eukaryotic. Animalia: This is the animal kingdom, comprised of what are called ingestive heterotrophs, since they take in food (ingest it) and then digest it internally. Animals are made up of eukaryotic cells. The following diagram summarizes the characteristics of the organisms found in the five kingdoms:

General Characteristics of Fungi:

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Eukaryotic Decomposers the best recyclers around No chlorophyll non photosynthetic Most multicellular (hyphae) some unicellular (yeast) Non-motile Cell walls made of chitin (kite-in) instead of cellulose like that of a plant Are more related to animals than plant kingdom Lack true roots, leaves and stems Absorptive heterotrophs -Digest food externally and then absorb it Lack of chlorophyll affects the lifestyle of fungi Not dependant on light Can occupy dark habitats Can grow in any direction Can invade the interior of a substrate with absorptive filaments

Structures
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Body of fungus made of tiny filaments or tubes called hyphae . Contain cytoplasm and nuclei (more than 1) Each hyphae is one continuous cell Cell wall made of chitin A tangled mess of hyphae is called mycelium Rhizoids are root-like parts of fungi that anchor them to the substrate (whatever they are bonding to) Mycelium increase the surface area of the fungi to absorb more nutrients.

CLASSIFICATION OF FUNGI:
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Fungi can be classified into 5 groups Fungi evolved from an aquatic, flagellated ancestor Chytrids Glomeromycetes (Mycorrhizae fungi) Mycorrhizae are mutually beneficial associations of plant roots and fungi

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Common and may have enabled plants to colonize land Help create an extending network for the plant to absorb more nutrients and water
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Ascomycetes (Sac fungi)

Truffles and yeast

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Basidiomycetes (club fungi)

Puff ball mushroom

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Zygomycetes (zygote fungi)

Fungus Reproduction:
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Fungi produce spores in both asexual and sexual life cycles Mushrooms let out spores from their pores that are carried by the wind to meet other spores and become a new fungi Yeast are unicellular and divide into new fungal cells (mitosis)

o In some fungi, fusion of haploid hypha produces a heterokaryotic stage containing nuclei from two parents (fusion of cytoplasm) o After the nuclei fuse, meiosis produces haploid spores (can grow in fungi and are the asexual part of the life cycle) General Fungi Reproduction Cycles:
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But fungal groups do differ in their life cycles and reproductive structures

Reproduction in Basidiomycetes:
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Basidiomycota (typical mushroom) ASCOMYCOTA FUNGI NUTRITION: Fungi absorb food after digesting it outside their bodies

Fungi are heterotrophic eukaryotes

FUNGI NUTRITION:
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Fungi use digestive enzymes to break down their food then absorb the liquid. (acquire nutrients such as nitrogen) Examples: o trap nematodes (little worms who feed on fungi) and paralyze them with special juices then absorbs and digests the nitrogen out of them.

3 Modes of Nutrition in Fungi:

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Saprophytes Parasites Mutualists (symbionts)

Saprophytes
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Use non-living organic material Important scavengers in ecosystems Important in recycling carbon, nitrogen and essential mineral nutrients

Parasites
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Use organic material from living organisms, harming them in some way Range of hosts from single-celled diatoms to fungi, to plants to animals to humans

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Mutualists (symbionts) Fungi that have a mutually beneficial relationship with other living organisms Mycorrhizae beneficial relationship with fungi with plant root

More than 90% of plants in nature have a mycorrhizal in roots (example: Truffles- expensive delicacy!)
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Lichens associations of fungi with algae or cyanobacteria

Food source for animals, breaking down rocks into soil

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Parasitic fungi harm plants and animals

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Parasitic fungi cause 80% of plant diseases Can kill plants and affect crops
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Many fungi are harmful to humans Can cause human diseases allergies, athletes foot, ringworm, yeast infection

Ringworm
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A contagious fungal infection having characteristic red ring that can appear on an infected persons skin Can affect the scalp, the body (particularly the groin), the feet, and the nails Also called Tinea

Benefits of Fungi
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Fungi also form mutualistic relationships with animals Some animals benefit from the digestive abilities of lichens Lichens consist of fungi living mutually with photosynthetic organisms

Lichens consist of algae or cyanobacteria (protists or bacteria) within a fungal network

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Fungi have enormous ecological, economic and practical uses

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Ecological= fungi are essential decomposers; mycorrhizae increase plant growth Economic/Practical= antibiotics and food (making bleu cheese/ truffles and truffle hunting)
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More Useful Fungi: Yeasts baking and brewing beer Antibiotics penicillin & cephalosporin Production of organic acids citric acid in Coke Steroids and medicines birth control pills

MAJOR PARTS OF A MUSHROOM:

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Cap (Pileus) The top part of the mushroom. Cup (Volva) A cup-shaped structure at the base of the mushroom. The basal cup is the remnant of the button (the rounded, undeveloped mushroom before the fruiting body appears). Not all mushrooms have a cup.

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Gills (Lamellae) A series of radially arranged (from the center) flat surfaces located on the underside of the cap. Spores are made in the gills. Mycelial threads Root-like filaments that anchor the mushroom in the soil. Ring (Annulus) A skirt-like ring of tissue circling the stem of mature mushrooms. Not all mushrooms have a ring. Scales Rough patches of tissue on the surface of the cap Stem (Stape) The main support of the mushroom; it is topped by the cap. Not all mushrooms have a stem.