Lab #6 :

Fungi Kingdom
Ms. Shatha Sawalha
 Characteristics

 Fungi are NOT plants

 Heterotrophs Eukaryotes
 Non-motile
 Most are saprobes (live on dead organisms)
 Absorptive heterotrophs (digest food first & then absorb it into their
bodies
 Release digestive enzymes to break down organic material or their host
 Store food energy as glycogen
 Important decomposers & recyclers of nutrients in the environment
 Most are multicellular, except unicellular yeast
 Cell walls are made of chitin.

 Body of fungus is called mycelium, networks of branched hyphae adapted

for absorption

MULTICELLULAR
Body plan: MUSHROOM

1 - Yeasts (unicellular )

2 - Molds (-filamentous - multicellular)

UNICELLULAR YEAST
 Modifications of hyphae
CROSS
NO CROSS WALLS
WALLS
Fungi may be classified based on

cell division.

• Aseptate or coenocytic
Cell wall
Nuclei Cell wall
(without septa) …..

multinucleated Pore

• Septate (with septa) Septum Nuclei

(a) Septate hypha (b) Coenocytic hypha

 Reproduction

 Most fungi reproduce both asexually and sexually by spores.

 reproduce asexually by mitotic production of haploid vegetative cells

called spores produced in specialized aerial hyphae or in fruiting structures

spoarangia, conidiophores, and other related structures

 Budding & fragmentation are two other methods of asexual

reproduction.
 Sexual Reproduction:
 Sexual reproduction in the fungi consists of three sequential stages:
A. plasmogamy, cytoplasm fusion
B. karyogamy, nucleus fusion
C. And meiosis.

 Fungi use sexual signaling molecules called ( pheromones) to

communicate their mating type
Fungi Phyla

 1. Phylum Chytridiomycota (e.g: chytrid)

 2. Phylum Zygomycota (e.g: bread mold (rhizopus)
 3. Phylum Glomeromycota (e.g: Arbuscular mycorrhizae)
 4. Phylum Ascomycota (e.g: penicellium, yeast, peziza)
 5. Phylum Basidiomycota (e.g: mushroom)
 Phylum Chytridiomycota

 Example: Chytrids
 They are typically aquatic saprobes or parasites on plants, animals,
and protists.
 Have flagellated spores
 Their reproductive feature is motile spores with flagella
 Phylum Zygomycota

 Most zygomycetes are decomposers (saprophytic)

 Some zygomycetes form mycorrhizal relationships with plant roots.
 Its hyphae are coenocytic
 Asexual sporangia produce haploid spores
 Sexual reproduction by forming zygospores
 Zygomycetes are commonly called (conjugating fungi)
 Rhizpous
 A common genus of bread mold is Rhizopus

 Its hyphae are modified into:

- Rhizoids anchor the mold & release digestive enzymes

& absorb food

- Stolons connect the fruiting bodies

- Sporangiophores supportive stem-like filaments

- Sporangia site of asexual spore formation

 Rhizopus( BLACK BREAD MOLD)
 It is a member of Zygomycota and considered the most important species in
the genus Rhizopus.
 Mucor conjugation

Immature Mature Zygosporangium

Zygosporangium

Gametes fusing

Hypha

The zygosporangium is formed after the

walls of the gametangia break down and
a single zygospore is formed.

The zygospore is the only diploid

structure in the life cycle of
zygomycetes
Phylum Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)

 Reproduce sexually by forming ascospores

 They are called Sac fungi ,because their sexual spores are produced in
sacs called asci (ascus)
 Reproduce sexually & asexually
 Type of hyphae - Septate
 Asexual spores – Conidiospores (in conidia)
 Sexual spores – Ascospores (in a sac - sac fungi)
 Yeasts reproduce asexually by budding
Peziza

Asci from the lining of a cup of Peziza, a cup fungus.

 Penicillium

 Reproduce asexually by conidia

 Used for antibiotic production
Saccharomyces (yeast)

 Reproduce asexually by budding

 Yeasts are unicellular microscopic fungi,

derived from all three different groups of fungi
however mainly Ascomycetes

 Saccharomyces cerevisiae
 Aspergillus

 Reproduce asexually by conidia

 Phylum Basidiomycota
(e.g: mushroom)

Basidiomycetes derived its name from the characteristics

sexual reproductive structure , the basiduim.

Also called club fungi

Reproduce sexually by nuclear fusion in the basidium is

followed by meiosis
Lab #6 kingdom Fungi

 1. Rhizopus W.M.
 2. Rhizopus asexual reproduction.
 3. Pencillium.
 4. Saccharomyces.
 5. Peziza.
 6. Aspergillis.
 7. Mucor conjugation and zygospore.