Kingdom Fungi

Fungi

A. AutotrophB. Heterotroph

Fungi are mostly saprobes, meaning they feed on dead organisms. That makes them HETEROTROPHS!

Fungi cell walls are made of…

A. CelluloseB. PeptidoglycanC. Chitin

Chitin!

Fungi Characteristics

1. Eukaryotic2. Heterotrophic3. Multicellular (except yeast, which are unicellular)4. Cell walls made of chitin

Penicillium, the fungi that makes penicillin

(the antibiotic)

Why are fungi not considered plants?Fungi vs. Plants

Fungi• Fungi are heterotrophs:

they do not make their own food; they must obtain it from the organisms or materials on which they live.

• Cell walls of chitin

Plants• Plants are autotrophs: they

use photosynthesis to make their own food

• Cell walls of cellulose

How do you know that fungi in these pictures are heterotrophs?

Decomposers eat dead plants/animals and break them down into simpler materials!

Parts of Multicellular Fungi

• In their life cycle, most fungi reproduce both sexually & asexually!

• Sexual Reproduction:– Fusion of 2 fungi

• Asexual Reproduction: – If cells of hyphae break off, they can grow into a new

fungus.– Production of spores that can spread (like fungus seeds)

that will grow into a new fungus

How do fungi reproduce?

Asexual Reproduction in Fungi

• One way for a fungi to reproduce asexually is to release spores.– The spores will be genetically

identical to the single parent!

• Spores must land in a favorable environment to germinate (grow).

An Earthstar Puffball, or Geastrum saccatum,

expels a cloud of spores.

How do fungal spores spread?

• Spores spread easily in the wind.

• Some fungi are specialized to attract animals, who will disperse the spores over a long distance!

Stinkhorns smell like rotting meat, which attracts flies.

When the flies land on the fungus, they ingest the spores. The flies will then deposit the spores wherever they go.

Fun Fact!

On a clear day, a few liters of fresh air may contain hundreds

of spores from many species of fungi!

Remember! Sexual Reproduction in Humans

• Egg & sperm cells are made during meiosis!– Egg & sperm are haploid (n).

• When egg & sperm cells fuse, they create a zygote.– They zygote is diploid (2n).

Sperm (n) + Egg (n) Zygote (2n)

Sexual Reproduction in Fungi

• Fungi are not male or female; they are plus (+) or minus (-).

• When hyphae of the 2 types meet, they begin to fuse together. – (n + n = 2n)

• After fusion, new spores are produced with meiosis. Here, the spores are produced sexually, not asexually!– They are a genetic combination

of 2 fungi parents!

How big is kingdom fungi?

There are about 75,000 identified species of fungi.

Scientists believe there are around 1 million species that are still undiscovered!

Fungi Classification

• Kingdom Fungi can be broken down into 4 major phylums:– Zygomycota– Basidiomycota– Ascomycota– Deuteromycota

Deuteromycota

Kingdom Fungi

Phylum ZygomycotaCommon Molds

• Can grow on foods & appear fuzzy• Reproduce asexually by producing spores

Black Bread Mold, Rhizopus stolonifer

Mold is added to bleu cheese, which gives it its unique taste.

Phlyum AscomycotaSac Fungi

• Live in moist, warm, & anaerobic (without oxygen) environments

• Some are unicellular; some are multicellular.• Sexual or asexual reproduction

Saccharomyces (yeast) are unicellular fungi!

Some sac fungi cause disease.

Yeast

• In a favorable environment, yeast will rapidly divide & perform alcoholic fermentation.– Remember! Alcoholic Fermentation: conversion of sugar

to carbon dioxide & alcohol

Phylum BasidiomycotaClub Fungi

• The fruiting body resembles a club that has basidia (produces spores) on the underside of the club part.

Mushrooms – never pick & eat a wild mushroom; they can kill you!

Phylum DeuteromycotaImperfect Fungi

• They do not go through sexual reproduction

Penicillium is a mold that grows on fruit. It is famous for producing penicillin, the

antibiotic.

I have basidia.

A. DeuteromycotaB. BasidiomycotaC. AscomycotesD. Zygomycota

Basidiomycota

I only reproduce asexually.

A. DeuteromycotaB. BasidiomycotaC. AscomycotesD. Zygomycota

Deuteromycota

Which gas is produced during alcoholic fermentation?

A. OxygenB. NitrogenC. Carbon MonoxideD. Carbon Dioxide

Carbon Dioxide

Kingdom Fungi is a diverse kingdom! How do these fungi get nutrients?

Remember! Most fungi are saprobes, meaning they obtain

food from decaying matter.

Before you leave, answer the following question on a sheet of notebook paper (share!):

Your neighbor has mushrooms growing in his front yard. Everyday, he stomps on the mushrooms to kill them. Even if he stomps on all of the mushrooms, they keep coming back.

Why is his stomping ineffective? Why do the

mushrooms continue to grow back? (Hint** think about

the structure of mushrooms!)