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Expected learning outcomes

• At the end of this topic you should be able to:
a) Name basic features of moulds and yeasts that infect
humans.
Characteristics of Fungi b) Explain classification, taxonomy, nutrition and
reproduction of fungi that infect humans.
c) Describe the general structure and organization of fungi
Topic 4 that infect humans.
d) Describe various fungal spores and their role in
establishment of human diseases.
e) Culture and identify moulds and yeasts in the
laboratory. 2

5.4 Kingdom Fungi Microscopic Fungi

• 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
• 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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Key terminologies
• Mycology: Study of fungi
• Mycologist: Scientist studying fungi
• Mycotoxicology: Study of fungal toxins
• Mycosis: Disease caused by fungi in animals
- superficial mycoses
- cuteneous mycoses
- subcuteneous mycoses
- Opportunistic mycoses

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Other terminologies
Structure
• Conidia • Mycelium • Exist in two morphologies:
• Arthroconidia • Perfect fungi – Yeast – round ovoid shape, asexual reproduction
• Blastoconidia • Pseudohyphae – Hyphae – long filamentous fungi or molds
• Chlamydospores • Septum
• Some exist in either form – dimorphic –
• Dimorphic fungi • Spore characteristic of some pathogenic molds
• Hyphae • Sexual spores
• The fungal cell is encased in a cell wall of
• Imperfect fungi • Ascospores
chitin
• Mold • Basidiospores
• Chitin is a strong but flexible nitrogen-
• Yeasts • Zygospores
containing polysaccharide consisting of N-
Jawetz, Melnick & Adelberg’s Medical Microbiology, 26 th Edition, chapter 45,
page 672
acetylglucosamine residues.
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Hyphal Morphology: Diagrammatic representation of 9 10

hyphal tip showing typical organelles and other structures

Figure 5.15 Figure 5.16c

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Fungal Nutrition Fungal Organization

• All are heterotrophic • Most grow in loose associations or colonies
• Majority are harmless saprobes living off dead
plants and animals
• Yeast – soft, uniform texture and appearance
• Some are parasites, living on the tissues of other • Filamentous fungi – mass of hyphae called
organisms, but none are obligate mycelium; cottony, hairy, or velvety texture
– Mycoses – fungal infections
– Hyphae may be divided by cross walls – septate
• Growth temperature 20o-40oC
– Vegetative hyphae – digest and absorb nutrients
• Extremely widespread distribution in many
habitats – Reproductive hyphae – produce spores for
reproduction

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Figure 5.18
Fungal Reproduction
• Primarily through spores formed on reproductive
hyphae
• Asexual reproduction – spores are formed
through budding or mitosis; conidia or
sporangiospores

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Types of asexual spores Figure 5.19

• A hypha can fragment (by the separation of hyphae

through splitting of the cell wall or septum) to form cells
that behave as spores. These cells are called arthroconidia
or arthrospores.
• If the cells are surrounded by a thick wall before
separation, they are called chlamydospores .
• If the spores develop within a sac [sporangium; pl.,
sporangia] at a hyphal tip, they are called sporangiospores
• If the spores are not enclosed in a sac but produced at the
tips or sides of the hypha, they are termed conidiospores.
• Spores produced from a vegetative mother cell by budding
are called blastospores.

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Figure 5.20 Formation of zygospores

Fungal Reproduction
• 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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Figure 5.21 Production of ascospores Figure 5.22 Formation of basidiospores in a mushroom

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Fungal Classification Fungal Identification

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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• Isolation on specific media, mainly,
Sabouraud’s agar
• 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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Roles of Fungi
Further Reading
• Adverse impact
– Mycoses, allergies, toxin production • Lansing M. Prescott, Microbiology, 5th
– Destruction of crops and food storages Edition, Chapter 25, page 554 - 557.
• Beneficial impact • Jawetz, Melnick & Adelberg’s Medical
– Decomposers of dead plants and animals
Microbiology, 26th Edition, chapter 45,
– Sources of antibiotics, alcohol, organic acids,
vitamins
page 671 – 701
– Used in making foods and in genetic studies

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