2.3.7: Chapter Summary

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Melissa Ha, Maria Morrow, & Kammy Algiers
Yuba College, College of the Redwoods, & Ventura College via ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative

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Fungi are heterotrophic eukaryotes with cell walls made of chitin and plasma membranes containing ergosterol. They can be unicellular (yeasts) or filamentous, forming a hyphal thallus called a mycelium. The hyphae can be coenocyctic or septate (with cross walls). Many fungi reproduce asexually (molds), producing spores called conidia by mitosis. Sexual reproduction in fungi varies greatly in different evolutionary lineages: several lineages of fungi produce multinucleate zygospores, ascomycetes produce ascospores within asci, and basidiomycetes produce basidiospores externally on basidia. Overall, the general life cycle can be classified as haplontic, though there is a dikaryotic stage that is extended in ascomycetes and extended even further in basidiomycetes.

Fungi live within their food substrate, exuding enzymes to digest externally, then absorbing it. They have diverse metabolic strategies and are capable of degrading a wide-range of compounds, making them incredibly important to decomposition and recycling of nutrients. The metabolic diversity of fungi has also lead to their use in the production of foods and medicines. Fungi are not just saprotrophs and have important roles as parasites and mutualists, namely lichens and mycorrhizae.

After completing this chapter, you should be able to...

List the characteristics of fungi.
Describe the composition of the mycelium.
Describe the mode of nutrition of fungi.
Explain sexual and asexual reproduction in fungi.
Describe some of the roles of fungi in ecosystems.
Describe mutualistic relationships of fungi with plant roots and photosynthetic organisms.
Describe the beneficial relationship between some fungi and insects.
Use characteristics to distinguish between groups of microfungi.
Describe some of the roles microfungi have in ecosystems.
Explain the relationship between plants and members of Glomeromycota.
Identify structures in the "zygomycete" life cycle and know their ploidy.
Use life history traits and morphological features to distinguish between Ascomycota and Basidiomycota.
Identify structures in the Ascomycota life cycle and know their ploidy.
Differentiate between different types of ascocarps; locate fertile surfaces within those structures.
Explain the lichen symbiosis.
Identify structures in the lichen thallus.
Use life history traits and morphological features to distinguish between Ascomycota and Basidiomycota
Identify the parts of a mushroom
Identify structures in the Basidiomycota life cycle and know their ploidy
Describe the importance of fungi to the balance of the environment.
Summarize the role of fungi in food and beverage preparation.
Describe the importance of fungi in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
Discuss the role of fungi as model organisms.

Attribution

Curated and authored by Maria Morrow using the following sources 24 Fungi and 24.0 Prelude to Fungi from Biology 2e by OpenStax (licensed CC-BY). Access for free at openstax.org.