Fungi

FUNGI What are the fungi? Mushrooms, molds, yeasts, athlete's foot diseases, rusts, and smuts All are filamentous or unicellular. Individual filaments are termed hyphae. A mass of hyphae is the mycelium (the feeding stage) Walls of the filaments are of cellulose with chitin Cells are eucaryotic; that is, they contain nuclei, mitochondria, other organelles Nutritionally, all fungi are heterotrophic, mostly aerobic Saprophytic--live off dead organic matter Parasitic--obtain nutrients by penetrating tiny branches (haustoria) into a …

…Importance Provide food for many northern animals ( reindeer, etc.) Break down rocks into fine soil Constituents A fungus--ascomycete or basidiomycete (holds water, obtains nutrients) An alga--green or blue-green (manufacture food) Can be separated and and combined to synthesize a lichen Reproduction Production of ascospores, if the proper species of alga is encountered, a new lichen may be produced. Also, in asexual reproduction, Soredia are formed One or more algal cells surrounded by a few hyphae.