Fungus is a eukaryotic organism classified in the fungi kingdom. It has cell walls composed of chitin, lacks chlorophyll, and stores energy as glycogen. Fungi obtain nutrients through absorption as heterotrophs. They can be unicellular, multicellular, or filamentous and are divided into sac fungi, club fungi, and thread-like fungi. Fungi reproduce through spores and have complex structures like mushrooms' caps, gills, stems, and mycelium. They can be saprophytes, parasites, symbionts, or predacious and play both useful and harmful roles.

1. FUNGUS
Ronnith Nandy

2. Characteristics of Fungus
Fungus is classified within the biological fungi kingdom so apart from plant,
animal and bacteria. Characteristics of fungi are as follows:-
Fungus is Eukaryotic, i.e. its cells
contain a membrane –bound organelles
Fungus has cell walls. Its cell walls are
composed mainly of carbohydrate called
Chitin .
•Fungus is Achlorophyllous, which means its lack chlorophyll
pigments present in plant cell and are necessary for
photosynthesis.
•The Molecule used to store energy in fungus is called
glycogen. It is used to store energy in muscle and liver cell in
animal but plants have a different storage molecule, called
starch.
•Fungus is Heterotrophs, which means that they obtain
nutrients by absorption.

3. Characteristics of Fungus
Some fungi, called Saprobiontic fungi, release enzymes that help to break-
down dead organic matter into chemicals that the fungi can then absorb
and process as a food source.
Reproduces by means of spores.
It’s a Non- Vascular animal.

4. Types of Fungus
Fungi may be Unicellular, Multicellular, or Filamentuos.
Fungi are divided into three main groups :
1.Sac like Fungi:
Yeast
2.Club Fungi:
Mushrooms
3. Thread-like Fungi:
Bread mould

5. Types of Fungus
Bread Mould: They grow mostly as saprophytes in the
form if fine threads that form a cotton like mass on the
surface of the decaying matter .
Yeast are single-celled microorganisms that are classified,
along with moulds and mushrooms, as members of the
Kingdom Fungi.
Yeasts are evolutionary diverse and are therefore
classified into two separate phyla, sac fungi and higher
fungi, that together form the subkingdom Dikarya.
Budding yeast, also referred to as “true yeasts”, are
members of the phylum Ascomycota and the order
Saccharomycetales.
Such classifications are based on characteristics of the cell, ascospore, and
colony, as well as cellular physiology.

6. Structure of Fungi
1. The Cap: Protects the underlying
spore producing gills, mainly from rain.
3. The Stem: Raises the cap high above the ground so that when the
spores are produced they won’t fall straight to the ground.
2.The Gills: Reproductive Spores or
produced and released from the gills.

7. Structure of Fungi
4.The Mycelium: Grows downward and
outward in search of food. When
enough food has been found, the
mushroom is produced.
5.The Volva: The
remains of the
universal veil
which covered and
protected the
young mushroom.

8. Nutrition in Fungi
Saprophyte – obtain nutrition from dead organic matter- Mucor, Rhizopus
Fungi are heterotrophic by
nature
Parasites – takes food from other living plants and animals- Taphrina

9. Nutrition in Fungi
Symbionts – they
grow on or with
other living
organism and both
are benefited –
lichen , mycorrhiza
Fungi are chlorophyll-less plants
Predacious- They are capturing fungi – Arthrobotrys

10. Useful Fungus
Fungi can be good to eat, like some mushrooms or foods made
from yeast, like bread or soy sauce.
Molds from fungi are used to make cheeses like Cashel blue or
Roquefort!
Scientists use fungi to make antibiotics, which doctors
sometimes use to treat bacterial infections.

11. Harmful Fungus
Fungi damage wood, crops and other resources, and can
cause serious illnesses in humans.
When food or other products are contaminated by fungi,
the products are typically destroyed.

12. Thank You