Kingdom Fungi

 prominent members of ecosystems

 useful as model systems and industry
 some are major human pathogens
 two groups
 protists
 fungi

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 100,000 species divided into 2 groups:
 Macroscopic fungi (mushrooms, puffballs, gill
fungi)
 Microscopic fungi (molds, yeasts)
 Majority are unicellular or colonial; a few have
cellular specialization

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 Exist in two morphologies:
 Yeast – round ovoid shape, asexual reproduction
 Hyphae – long filamentous fungi or molds
 Some exist in either form – dimorphic –
characteristic of some pathogenic molds

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Figure 5.15

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Figure 5.16c

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 All are heterotrophic
 Majority are harmless saprobes living off
dead plants and animals
 Some are parasites, living on the tissues of
other organisms, but none are obligate
 Mycoses – fungal infections
 Growth temperature 20o-40oC
 Extremely widespread distribution in many
habitats

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 Most grow in loose associations or colonies
 Yeast – soft, uniform texture and appearance
 Filamentous fungi – mass of hyphae called
mycelium; cottony, hairy, or velvety texture
 Hyphae may be divided by cross walls – septate
 Vegetative hyphae – digest and absorb nutrients
 Reproductive hyphae – produce spores for
reproduction

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 Isolation on specific media
 Macroscopic and microscopic observation
of:
 Asexual spore-forming structures and spores
 Hyphal type
 Colony texture and pigmentation
 Physiological characteristics
 Genetic makeup

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 Primarily through spores formed on
reproductive hyphae
 Asexual reproduction – spores are formed
through budding or mitosis; conidia or
sporangiospores

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Figure 5.19

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 Sexual reproduction – spores are formed
following fusion of two different strains and
formation of sexual structure
 Zygospores, ascospores, and basidiospores
 Sexual spores and spore-forming structures are
one basis for classification

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Kingdom Eumycota is subdivided into several phyla
based upon the type of sexual reproduction:
1. Zygomycota – zygospores; sporangiospores and
some conidia
2. Ascomycota – ascospores; conidia
3. Basidiomycota – basidiospores; conidia
4. Chytridomycota – flagellated spores
5. Fungi that produce only Asexual Spores
(Imperfect)

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Figure 5.20 Formation of zygospores

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Figure 5.21 Production of ascospores

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Figure 5.22 Formation of basidiospores in a mushroom

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 Adverse impact
 Mycoses, allergies, toxin production
 Destruction of crops and food storages
 Beneficial impact
 Decomposers of dead plants and animals
 Sources of antibiotics, alcohol, organic acids,
vitamins
 Used in making foods and in genetic studies

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