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Learn the Facts About the Fungi Kingdom
1. What are the main cellular features of fungi? There are unicellular and pluricellular fungi. All fungi are eukaryotes and heterotrophs. Fungi have cells with cell wall made of chitin, the same substance that constitutes the exoskeleton of arthropods. Fungi, likewise animals, characterize for storing glucose in the form of its polymer glycogen. Fungi Kingdom Review - Image Diversity: fungi 2. Are there photosynthetic fungi? How do fungi nourish themselves? All fungi are heterotrophs (so, they do not perform photosynthesis). Fungi are typical decomposers, they eat and degrade organic material. 3. Fungi are classified in their own kingdom. Into which phyla is the fungi kingdom divided? Into which of those phyla are mushrooms classified? The kingdom fungi is divided into four phyla: ascomycetes, basidiomycetes, zygomycetes and deuteromycetes. Mushrooms are basidiomycetes. Fungi Kingdom Review - Image Diversity: ascomycetes basidiomycetes zygomycetes deuteromycetes 4. What are the hyphae and the mycelium of pluricellular fungi? The main structures of pluricellular fungi are the hyphae (threadlike filaments made of contiguous uni or multinucleated cells) and the mycelium (a set of hyphae). Fungi Kingdom Review - Image Diversity: hyphae mycellium 5. What are the types of reproduction that occur in fungi? In fungi there are asexual and sexual reproduction. Fungi reproduce asexually by fragmentation, gemmation and sporulation. Some species can reproduce sexually by fusion of hyphae from different individuals, even with metagenesis (alternation of generations). 6. What are the fruiting bodies present in some fungi? Fruiting bodies are structures made of hyphae that project radially from the superior portion of the peduncle of some fungi. These structures contain the reproductive cells of the individual. They form the umbrella-like cap in mushrooms (basidiocarp) or the ascocarp in ascomycetes. Fungi Kingdom Review - Image Diversity: basidiocarp 7. What is the ecological importance of fungi? Fungi are heterotrophs and decomposers (they break down dead beings) and they actively participate in the recycling of organic material in ecosystems. Some fungi keep mutualist ecological interaction with algae or cyanobacteria, forming lichen, and with plant roots, forming mycorrhizas. 8. What is the utility of fungi for some industries? Fungi are industrially used in the production of fermented beverage, bread, cheese, etc. Some fungi are very important for the production of medical drugs. There are fungi processed to serve as food for humans, like eatable mushrooms. 9. What are lichens? How do fungi participate in this ecological interaction? Lichens are formed by mutualist ecological interaction between fungi and algae or between fungi and cyanobacteria. In this ecological interaction, the fungi absorb water that is then used by algae (or cyanobacteria), and algae (or cyanobacteria), as autotrophs, produce organic material in excess to serve as food for the fungi. Fungi Kingdom Review - Image Diversity: lichens 10. What are mycorrhizas? How does each participant benefit in this ecological interaction? Mycorrhizas are mutualist ecological interactions between fungi and some plants roots. Fungi provide to the plant more water and mineral salts and obtain organic material from the vegetable. 11. What are the main human diseases caused by fungi? The main human diseases caused by fungi are coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, or South American blastomycosis, sporotrichosis, aspergillosis and systemic candidiasis. Fungi are also responsible for many dermatologic diseases (dermatomycosis) that affect the skin, the nails, the scalp, etc. On the other hand, many fungi are able to produce antibacterial substances that combat diseases. In the second world war, in German jails, Russian prisoners that accepted to eat moldy bread had less skin infection than those that refused the food. In China, moldy soy sauce has millennial past use against infections. Penicillin, a potent antibiotic, was discovered in 1928 by Alexander Fleming when he observed the antibacterial activity of fungi from the genus Penicillium. 12. What is cyclosporin? How are fungi related to this substance? Cyclosporin is a drug discovered in the 1970’s that revolutionized organ transplantation in Medicine. It is a powerful immunosuppressor and so it lessens the immune activity of the receptor and reduces the risk of rejection of the transplanted organ. Cyclosporin is a protein produced by the fungus Tolypocladyum inflatum. |