Kingdom Fungi

• The characteristics
of fungi
• The evolution of
the fungi
• Fungal
classification
• Fungal life styles All photographsin this presentation © Pearson Education or Fred M. Rhoades
 The Characteristics of Fungi
• Fungi are NOT plants

• Hyphae = tubular units of construction

• Heterotrophic by absorption
• Reproduce by spores
• Ecologically pivotal roles
 Hyphae

• Tubular
• Hard wall of chitin
• Crosswalls may
form compartments
(± cells)
• Multinucleate
• Grow at tips
Heterotrophic by Absorption
• Fungi get carbon from organic sources
• Hyphal tips release enzymes
• Enzymatic breakdown of substrate
• Products diffuse back into hyphae

Nucleus hangs back

and “directs”

Product diffuses back

into hypha and is used
Modifications of hyphae
Fig 30.2 (don’t worry
about the terms)
 Hyphal growth
• Hyphae grow from their tips
• Mycelium = extensive, feeding web of hyphae

• Mycelia are the ecologically active bodies of

fungi
This wall is rigid Only the tip wall is plastic and stretches

Video of time lapse growth in a Zygomycote, Phycomyces

 Reproduce by spores
• Spores are reproductive cells
* Sexual
* Asexual
• Formed:
* Directly on hyphae
* Inside sporangia
* Fruiting bodies

Penicillium hyphae

Pilobolus sporangia
Amanita fruiting body
 Hyphal growth from spore

germinating
spore
mycelium

• Mycelia have a huge surface area

Fig 31.1
fruiting bodies

both are
composed
of hyphae

mycelium
 Fungal Ecology
• Saprobes
* Decomposers
* Mostly of plants, some animals
• Parasites
* Harm host
* Mostly on plants, some animals
• Mutualists
* Lichens
* Mycorrhizas
* Others
Evolution of the fungi
Fig 28.8
 asci
basidia
zygosporangia

motile spores Classification

& Phylogeny
Fig 31.4
Chytridiomycota – “chytrids”

• Simple fungi
• Produce motile spores
• Mostly saprobes and
parasites in aquatic
habitats
• Could just as well be
Protists

Fig 31.5 Chytridium growing on spores

Zygomycota – “zygote fungi”

• Sex - zygosporangia
• Asex - common
• Hyphae have no cross
walls
• Grow rapidly Fig 31.6 Rhizopus on strawberries

• Mycorrhizas
 Sexual zygsporangium
with one zygospore

Asexual sporangium
with spores inside

Fig 31.7 Life cycle of Rhizopus

You are not responsible for this life cycle
Life cycle is predominantly haploid
 Ascomycota – “sac fungi”

• Sex. – asci
• Asex. – common
• Cup fungi, morels,
truffles
• Important plant
parasites & saprobes
• Yeast - Saccharomyces
• Most lichens
A cluster of asci with spores inside
 Sac fungi
diversity

• Note general
comments about
habitats and roles
• Enjoy looking at some
amazing organisms
• This smaller-sized
PPT file lacks
diversity slides
 Basidiomycota – “club fungi”
• Sex – basidia
• Asex – not so common
• Long-lived dikaryotic
mycelia
• Rusts & smuts – primitive
plant parasites
• Mushrooms, polypores,
puffballs
• Enzymes decompose wood
• Mycorrhizas
SEM of basidia and spores
 Hyphal fusion mycelium and fruiting
of haploid body are dikaryotic
haploid
mycelia
mycelium

Mushroom
Life Cycle
N 2N N+N

Meiosis
Nuclear
fusion in
basidium
young basidia - the Fig 31.12
only diploid cells
 Club fungi
diversity

• Check out Taylor

Lockwoods, “Treasures
from the Kingdom
Fungi”!
• This smaller-sized PPT
file lacks diversity slides
 • Yeasts
• Molds
• Mycorrhizas
A rust growing
on a•currant
Lichens
leaf

0.5 cm
 Yeasts
• Single celled fungi
• Adapted to liquids
* Plant saps
* Water films
* Moist animal tissues

Candida
Saccharomyces
Schizosaccharomyces
octospora – fermenter
of Palm Wine

10 μm
 Molds
• Rapidly growth
• Asexual spores
• Many human importances
* Food spoilage
* Food products
* Antibiotics, etc.

Noble Rot - Botrytis

Fig 31.21 Antibiotic activity
 Mycorrhizas
• “Fungus roots”
• Mutualism between:
* Fungus (nutrient & water uptake for plant)
* Plant (carbohydrate for fungus)
• Several kinds
* Zygomycota – hyphae invade root cells
* Ascomycota & Basidiomycota – hyphae invade root
but don’t penetrate cells

• Extremely important ecological role of fungi!

“Ecto”mycorrhizas

Russula
mushroom
mycorrhizas on
Western
Hemlock root
Mycorrhiza cross sections

Fungal hyphae
around root and
between cells
 Lichens
• “Mutualism” between
* Fungus – structure
* Alga or
cyanobacterium –
provides food
• Form a thallus
* Foliose
* Fruticose
* Crustose

Fig 31.16
Lichen internal structure
Fig 31.17

Lobaria
 Lichens as biomonitors
• Thalli act like sponges
• Some species more sensitive
• Which species are present can indicate air quality
• (Most resistant species can also be analyzed for
pollutants)
• Northwest Air Net Project
* Species chart
* Table of sensitivities
 Lichen
diversity
• Check out my 3-D
cryptogam site!
• More pictures of:
* Lichens
* Mushrooms
* Bryophytes
* Slime molds

• This smaller-sized PPT

file lacks diversity slides