Kingdom Fungi

• Eukaryotes
• Cell wall made of chitin, a carbohydrate
(same compound as exoskeleton of insects!!!!!)
• Most multicellular: mushrooms, molds
• Some unicellular: yeasts
• Heterotrophs: - decomposers
- some parasites
• Body made is made of filaments called hyphae
• Reproduce using spores
 Characteristics of Fungi
• The body of a fungus is called a mycelium --a matt of thin,
tangled threads.
• The individual thread like strands of cells are called
hyphae.
• Cell wall made of chitin a carbohydrate (same compound
as exoskeleton of insects!!!!!)
Hyphae are one cell thick but many cells long
Reproduction
- Mushrooms
reproduce using
spores
- Spores are small
reproductive cells
released from the
gills
- Mushrooms can
also reproduce
when hyphae
break off and grow
on their own
Most fungi are decomposers.
Break down organic material like dead
animals, plants, etc.
They feed by releasing digestive enzymes
that break down organic compounds. The
cells (hyphae) then absorb the digested
compounds.
Some are parasites: Feed on other
living organisms
• Athlete’s foot
• Candida albicans (vaginal and mouth
yeast infections)
• Tinea pedis • Candida albicans
(Athlete’s foot) (yeast infection)
• Usually kept in check by
competition with bacteria.
This balance can be upset by
antibiotics that kill the bacteria
 Useful Fungi
Some Fungi produce antibiotics
- Penicillium notatum makes Penicillin (antibiotic)
- Grows naturally in some fruits -oranges
Fungi used to make cheese:
Blue Cheese: Penicillium roquefortii is used to
make blue cheeses: Roquefort, Gorgonzola,
Stilton, etc.
The blue ‘stuff’ are spores: You eat millions in one bite!
Yeast: used to make bread, wine, beer
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baking). Unicellular
- Yeasts use sugars as a source of energy during
respiration.
- Their waste products are CO2 and alcohol
 Lichens
• Symbiotic relationship between a fungus and a
photosynthetic organism:
-Algae (Protista) or Cyanobacteria (Eubacteria)
What lichens are really made of
Some mushrooms contain deadly toxins.
Don’t touch unknown mushrooms!
Hallucinogens in some (high doses deadly)
Some poisonous Ohio mushrooms:
 Importance of fungi to humans
-- Diseases—e.g., yeast infections
with Candida cause thrush
--Food spoilage—zygomycete bread
molds; ergot molds on wet grains
(source of LSD; likely cause of
witch hunts in Salem, MA/Europe)
cause hallucinations.
--Plant pathogens like molds, smuts,
rusts
special hyphae to invade living
plant tissue are called haustoria.
++Mychorrhizae allow more
robust plant growth
++Succession restores soil
(as after volcano erupts)
++Primary decomposers on
land
++Food sources –
mushrooms
++Fermentation of alcoholic
beverages (alcoholic
fermentation by yeasts)
 The cellulase enzyme allows fungi to act as a
decomposer, essential in every food web. The
outer ring on this food web diagram shows how
decomposers link all levels of the food web.
Fossils of fungi are rare
because…
a. their late appearance
on the Geologic Time
Scale
b. their lack of species
diversity
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Stinkhorns, are mushrooms that mimic the odor of rotting
meat. What do you think is the main mechanism or
strategy used by this fungi to disperse its spores?
a. wind.
b. snow.
c. birds.
d. flies.

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 An important role of fungi in an
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 Which statement about lichens is
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d. They are composed
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