SAC FUNGI

CHARACTERISTICS OF FUNGI

Eukaryotic
Heterotrophic
o Saprophytes – feed on dead materials
o Parasites – feed on live material
Most are multicellular
Cell walls made of chitin
Most are microscopic molds or yeast
 TYPES OF FUNGI

• Chytrids
(phylum Chytriomycota)

• Zygmycota/ Common molds

• Basidomycota/ Club fungi

• Ascomycota/ Sac fungi

• Deuteromycota / Imperfect fungi

 SAC FUNGI

Ascomycota
• Produces spores in a sac-like structure called asci during
sexual reproduction
o Yeast
o Morels
 D U CT IO N
RE PRO
EXAMPLES OF ASCOMYCOTA

MORCHELLA ESCULENTA
(Used to produce enzymes that
are used as a food
preservative)

PEZIZA MICHELII
(Edible Fungi)
 SACCHAROMYCES
CEREVISIAE
(Used in Brewing Beer)

BLACK TRUFFLES
(Gourmet Food
Industry)
Asexual reproduction Sexual reproduction

• Produced asexual • Ascopores enclosed in

spores by only one sac like fungi
parent
• Include several human
• Conidia produced on pathogens
conidiophores or in
fruiting bodies such as
• Also include common
Acervuli and Pycnidia
antibiotic producing
fungi and yeast.
 Two hyphal cell fuse

 Ascopores form from

fused cells by meiosis

Ascus open to release

ascopores

Ascopores germinates to
produce hyphae

Vegetative mycellium
grows
 BENEFITS OF FUNGI
• Important decomposers
• Produce many products used in the
medical field such as;
- Penicillin
- Cephalospotin Antibiotics
- Cortisone
• Yeast is used to make ethanol
• Yeast are known for making bread rise
• Mushrooms, morels and truffles are
widely consumed by humans
• Fungi form beneficial partnerships
(symbiosis) with other organisms such
as trees and flowering plants
- lichen
- Micorrhizae
 DETRIMENTS OF FUNGI
• Many people have
allergies triggered by
mold.
• Fungal skin infections –
skin, nails and hair
- Ringworm, athlete’s
foot
• Internal organs –
Histoplasmosis
• Many fungal attcak plants
- Dutch elm disease
- Corn smut