Fungi are heterotrophic eukaryotes that acquire nutrients through saprophytic methods, consuming pre-digested food from various substrates. Their body plan consists of an aerial fruiting body, which is involved in reproduction, and an underground mycelium that facilitates nutrient absorption from the substrate. This structure allows fungi to thrive in diverse environments and efficiently obtain nutrients critical for their growth.

1. explain how fungi acquire their nutrients. describe the basic body plan of a fungus. explain how
this body plan is an adaptation that facilitates feeding the fungi
Solution
Nutrition in fungus: Fungi are heterotrohpic unicellular/multicellular eukaryotes which acquire
their food by saprophytic modes i.e. acquisition of pre-digested food/nurients from a host by
growing on it. Fungus can grow in a wide range of environment and prefer most and dampy
areas for growth. They are very rigid in their growth and can grow on a variety of substrates like
an old piece of log, grass, sand, eatables, dead animals etc.Some fungi also secrete digestive
enzymes onto their substrate for breaking down their food into smaller subunits appropriate for
direct uptake.
Structure: A fungus can be broadly divided into an aerial fruiting body and an underground
mycelium. The aerial body is divided into two parts, the upper umbrella like basidium and the
stalk called stipe. The stalk or the stem of the aerial part is made up of a bunch of linearly
arranged tubular structures called hyphae. The aerial umbrella like strucutre or basidium contains
smaller linear strips on the inner side containing fungal spores. Thus, the aerial part represents
the reproductive part of a fungus.
The underground mycelia represent the root-like structure of fungus. They penetrate into the
substratum and help in digesting the upper hard tissue of the substrate and suck the digested
nutrients/food from the host. The nutrients are then transported to the whole body of fungus
traversing through the mycelia, stipe and the basidium.
Thus, this simple body plan of a fungus helps in feeding them.