plasmogamy - Mycelia of different types fuse together in plasmogamy (a stage where two parent
mycelia fuse but the
nuclei do not fuse) to form a dikaryotic mycelium that grows quickly and crowds out the haploid parental
mycelia. The dikaryotic mycelium forms compact masses that develop into basidiocarps. These
basidiocarps are fruiting bodies that arise in response to environmental stimuli.
Basidium/Basidiospore - The basidiocarp contains basidia (singular: basidium)
cells where karyogamy occurs. The mushroom cap supports and protects a large surface area of
dikaryotic
basidia on its gills. Karyogamy produces a diploid nucleus in the basidium that undergoes meiosis to
produce four haploid nuclei. The haploid nuclei then develop into basidiospores.
Algae - -Eukaryotic
• Aquatic
• Photo-autotrophs
• Unicellular and multi-cellular forms
Fungi - • Eukaryotic
• Acquire food via absorption
• Heterotrophic
- Saprobic (decomposers)
- Parasitic
- Symbiotic
• Cell walls composed of chitin
• Are now a monophyletic group
Taxonomic Categories -
, Zygomyta - example: Bread mold, Reproduction: Majority are Asexual, some are sexual
Structure of Fungi - Cell walls composed of chitin
• Thallus composed of hyphae
- septate or coenocyntic
• Mycelium (root part) is the vegetative part
of a fungus, composed of
branched hyphae
• Mycelia are interwoven
throughout food source
• Fruiting body (e.g. mushroom)(top of mushroom) is the reproductive structure
two types of hyphae. Any given fungal species will have only one type - -Septate: the hyphae are
divided into cells by
cross-walls called septa
-Coenocytic (= aseptate): the hyphae are not
divided by septa, but consist of continuous
cytoplasm with hundreds of nuclei
Fungi: Generalized Life Cycle - Though their reproductive structures vary in appearance, all fungi
have the same
generalized life cycle. The nuclei in the hyphae of the mycelium are haploid. Fungi
reproduce by releasing spores that are produced either sexually or asexually:
Fungal Divisions - 4
divisions (= phyla) in the
Kingdom Fungi: Chytridmycota, Basidiomycota, Ascomycota, Zygomycota (remember A,B,C,Z)