Mycota (Fungi)

Introduction of Fungi
• Fungi are achlorophyllous, heterotrophic, thallophytic and eukaryotic organisms having
cell wall in their cell. About 1, 00,000 species of fungi have been identified. Study of fungi
is called Mycology.
General characters:
• - They are cosmopolitan in distribution. Mostly they are found in dark and moist places
where decaying organic matters are found.
• -They are achlorophyllous, thallophytic, eukaryotic , multicellular organisms except yeast,
with simple body organization.
• - Their vegetative body is tubular filamentous and branched known as hyphae. The mass
of hyphae is known as mycelium.
• - Their cell wall is made up of chitin (fungal cellulose).
• - Reserve food materials are glycogen, oil droplets, lipid and volutin granules.
• - Reproduction takes place by vegetative, asexual and sexual method.
• Sex organs are unicellular, if multicellular all cells act as gametes.
• - Due to the lack of chlorophyll they can’t prepared their own food. So, they show
heterotrophic mode of nutrition. Mostly they are saprophytic, some are parasitic and few
are symbiotic in nature.
• -They do not have vascular tissue (xylem and phloem) and embryonic stage in their life
cycle.
• Example: Mucor, Rhizopus, Agaricus, Albugo, Mushroom,Saprolegnia etc.
 Classification of Fungi
On the basis of the organisation of the vegetative thallus, the morphology of
reproductive structures, the way of spores production and particular life cycle involved
the kingdom mycota is classified into following divisions.
a) Phycomycetes:
• -They have comparatively simple thallus, may be unicellular or filamentous. Filamentous
body of fungi is known as hypha.
• Hypha is aseptate and coenocytic.
• - They may be aquatic or terrestrial, parasitic or saprophytic.
• - Asexual reproduction takes place by motile spore known as Zoospore and non-motile
spore.
• - Sexual reproduction takes place by plasmogametic fusion and gametangial conjugation.
      They are classified into two further types:
i) Oomycetes
• - They are mostly aquatic and parasitic. Only few are saprophytic.
• - Asexual reproduction takes place by zoospore and sexual reproduction takes place by
plamogametic fusion and gametangial contact.
• - The name oomycetes due to the formation of diploid zygote known as oospore, e.g.
Phytopthora.
 ii) Zygomycetes (Conjugation fungi)
- They are mostly terrestrial and saprophytic and some are parasitic.
- Asexual reproduction takes place by non-motile spores. Sexual
reproduction takes place by conjugation.
- The name Zygomycetes due to the formation of diploid Zygote called
zygospore.
  Examples; Rhizopus, Mucor etc
b) Ascomycetes(Sac fungi):
- They are mostly terrestrial, saprophytic and parasitic.
- Hypha is septate and branched but some species are unicellular.
- vegetative reproduction takes place by fragmentation, budding and
fission.
- Asexual reproduction takes place by conidia, chlymydospore etc.
- Sexual reproduction takes place by gametengial conjugation,
somatogamy.
- A sac like structure called ascus is formed after fusion of male and
female gametes,
- Examples Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Penicillium, Aspergillus etc.
 c) Basidiomycetes(Club Fungi):
• - They are mostly terrestrial, saprophytic, parasitic and symbiotic.
• - Hypha is septate and branched. Two types of hypha or mycelium are found, i.e.
primary mycelium, secondary mycelium.
• - Asexual reproduction takes place by conidia and chlymydospore etc.
• - Sexual reproduction takes place by somatogamy.
• The two nucleus of dikaryotic mycelium fused to form club shaped zygote called
basidia.
• Examples; Mushrooms, Puccinia, Ustilago etc.
d) Deuteromycetes (The Imperfect Fungi)
• Deuteromycetes compromises more than 17000 species of the diverse  habits and
habitats. It is considered as an artificial class of fungi.
• They are mostly terrestrial and parasitic. Only few are saprophytes.
• - Hypha is septate and branched.
• - Asexual reproduction takes place by conidia, oidia and chlymydospore.
• - Sexual reproduction is absent so they are known as fungi imperfecti.
• The asexual stage or imperfect stage in Deuteromycetes is well defined. But the
sexual or perfect stage is absent in life cycle, so, they are called ‘Fungi imperfecti’.
• Example; Alternaria, Fusarium, Helminthosporium etc.
 Difference between Algae and Fungi
Algae
1. They are chlorophyllous,
autotrophic thallophytes.
2. They grow in aquatic and semi-
aquatic habitat.
3. For their development light is
essential.
4. They are free-living autotrophs.
5. Cell wall is made by cellulose.
6. They store food material in the
form of starch.
7. Examples: Spirogyra, Ulothrix,
volvox, Laminaria,
Batrachospermum etc.
Fungi
1. They are achlorophyllous,
heterotrophic thallophytes.
2. They grow in moist and shady
places.
3. They grow only in absence of light.
4. Mostly they are saprophytic, some
are parasitic and symbiotic in
nature.
5. Cell wall is made by chitin (fungal
cellulose).
6. They store food materials in the
form of glycogen and oil droplets.
7. Examples: Albugo, Mucor,
Alternaria, Agaricus, Puccnia,
Rhizopus etc.
 Economic Importance of Fungi
Positive:
a. Food value: Fruiting body of some fungi like Mushroom are used as sources of food.
b. Industrial use:
- In baking industries yeast are used to produce different food materials, like Bread, cake, idili, dosa
etc
- In Brewery industries different alcoholic products, like: beer, wine, whisky, rum, gin etc. are
produced by using yeast, Aspergillus, Peniillium etc.
- In the production of cheese in diary industries.
- In the production of different enzymes some fungi like yeast for the production of invertase and
Zymase ; Penicillium for Pectinase; Apergillus for amylase etc
-Some fungi are used for the production of organic acids like Citric acid, lactic acid, oxalic acid,
Fumaric acid etc.
c. Medical use: some fungi like Aspergillus, Penicillium, Claviceps etc. are used to produce antibiotics
like Ergotine, Penicillin, Natatin, Clavifermin, Albidin , etc.
d. Fungi help to increase the fertility of soil by decomposing organic matters.
e. Some are used in hormone production, water treatment, curing of coca beans etc.
Negative:
a) Spoilage of food materials like, meat, vegetable, fruits, diary products etc.
b) Spoilage and destruction of different goods like, leather goods, timber, furnitures, textile etc
c) Some fungi may cause food poisoning and may take the human life , like Mushroom.
d) Some fungi may cause different plant and animal diseases, like early blight of potato by Alternaria ,
White rust of wheat by Puccinia, Wilt of tomato by Fusarium in plant simillary Aspergelosis by
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