Fungus Among-Us
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Fungus Among-us Why is the mushroom more popular than the flower? Characteristics of Fungi • Kingdom: Fungi • Eukaryotic (have a nucleus) • Some single-celled; most are multi-cellular • Rigid cell walls (like plants) • No chlorophyll • Come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors Fungi Food • Fungi can’t travel - must live on or near their food supply. • All are heterotrophs (get food from others) – Consumers: get food by secreting digestive juices onto a food source then absorbing the dissolved food – Decomposers: feed on dead plant or animal matter – Others are Parasites Fungus Parts • Multicellular fungi: made up of chains of cells called hyphae (singular = hypha) • Hyphae grow together to form a twisted mass called the mycelium. • Mycelium makes up most of the fungus, but is under ground. Making More Fungi Sexual or asexual reproduction • 2 Asexual Processes: – Hyphae break apart; each new piece is a new fungus – Produce spores Spores: small reproductive cells protected by a thick wall Advantages of Spores: 1. Light and easily spread by the wind 2. Lands and grows into a new fungus Making More Fungi (part 2) • Sexual process: Step 1: Special structures form to make sex cells Step 2: Then sex cells join to produce sexual spores that grow a new fungus Fungus Life Cycle Fungi Review • What is a fungus? • How do fungi eat? • What are hyphae? • What is a mycelium? • How do fungi reproduce? 4 Kinds of Fungi 1. Threadlike Fungi 2. Sac Fungi 3. Club Fungi 4. Imperfect Fungi (misfits!) Threadlike Fungi • Mold – shapeless, fuzzy fungus • Live in the soil • Decomposers • Reproduce sexually or asexually Sac Fungi • Largest group of fungi • Examples: yeasts, mildews, truffles • Reproduce sexually and asexually • Single celled (yeasts) or multicelluar (truffles) • Some are useful to humans! – Yeasts for bread; others are antibiotics and vitamins • Some are parasites :( – Dutch Elm disease - kills plants Club Fungi • Look like umbrellas • Reproduce sexually • Many have “gills” underneath Non-mushroom Club Fungi • Puffballs - go puff! • Rusts - plant parasites (turn corn black) • Bracket fungi look like shelves on trees Imperfect Fungi • Fungi that don’t fit in the other groups - misfits! • Most are parasites (cause disease) Ex: athlete’s foot • Some are good! – Penicillium is where we get our antibiotic penicillin! – Others are used to make cheeses, soy sauce, and citric acid in soda Lichens…oooh, Special! • Lichens - a combination of a fungus and an alga (protist) that grow together • Mutualistic relationship: both organisms benefit from living together • Producers • Found in almost every land environment • Can grow on rocks • Absorb nutrients from the air – good air = lots of lichens.