Fungi: Importance, Characteristics, and Reproduction, Slides of Botany and Agronomy

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Fungi

Importance of Fungi

Together with Heterotrophic bacteria

Ecological decomposers

Root-rot fungus- white mycelial causes disease in living trees Acts as decomposers on dead plants Docsity.com

Root rot

Ouch!!! Docsity.com

Characteristics of Fungi

• Composed

of Hyphae

Fungal

filaments=

“Cobwebby”

strands of

subterranean

“white stuff”

Mycelium

• Fungi and insects
• Endophytes- fungi live in plants produce toxic that protect host

Four phyla of fungi

• Chytridiomycota
• Zygomycota
• Ascomycota next week lecture
• Basidiomycota next week lecture

All Fungi Heterotrophic Absorbers

• Unable to engulf small microorganisms
• Secrete enzymes and absorb smaller molecules - Absorb food mostly at or near the growing tips of their hyphae

Fungi obtain their food

• Either as Saprophytes or
• As mutualistic symbionts

Fungi Store energy

• Polysaccharide
• Glycogen
• Lipids

Fungi reproduce both sexually and

asexually

• Reproduce through the formation of spores that are produced sexually or asexually
• Most are nonmotile spores
• Some are dry and small and airborne
• Some are slimy and stick to the bodies of insects and other arthropods
• Some propel into air- phototropism

Asexual reproduction

• Or
• Hyphal cells called conidiogenous cells
  • Spores produced by conidiogenous cells occur singly or in chains called conidia

Asexual repro

• Some Reproduce by fragmentation of their hyphae