Fungi is a group of eukaryotic non-phototropic organisms with rigid cell walls, that includes unicellular yeasts and multicellular molds. These slides will provide you the basics of fungi, general properties , reproduction and types of fungi.

1. Anup Muni Bajracharya
Fungi

2. Fungi
• Fungi are
• eukaryotic,
• heterotrophic,
• unicellular to filamentous,
• spore bearing organisms
• that reproduce sexually and asexually.

3. General properties of fungi
• are eukaryotic cells contain membrane bound cell organelles including
nuclei, mitochondria, golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes
etc.
• have a rigid cell wall which is made up of chitin.
• Cell membrane is made up of ergosterols
• lack chlorophyll and are therefore chemoheterotrophs (require organic
compounds for both carbon and energy sources) and not autotrophic.
• are osmiotrophic; they obtain their nutrients by absorption.
• obtain nutrients as saprophytes (live off of decaying matter) or as
parasites (live off of living matter).
• typically reproduce asexually and/or sexually by producing spores.
• grow either reproductively by budding or non-reproductively by hyphal tip
elongation.
• Food storage is generally in the form of lipids and glycogen.

4. Structure of fungi
• Fungi include the unicellular yeasts, multicellular molds

5. Yeast
• Yeasts are microscopic,
unicellular fungi with a
single nucleus and
eukaryotic organelles.
• They are oval or round in
shape.
• They reproduce asexually
by a process of budding.
• In this process, a new cell
forms at the surface of the
original cell, enlarges, and
then breaks free to live
independently.

6. Mold
• The main body of mold is
made up of fine, branching
threads called hyphae.
• These hyphae intertwined
with each other to make up a
tangled web called
the mycelium.
• In some fungi hyphae is
divided into cell or
compartment by septum.
• Septum has a central pore
which allows the movement
of cytoplasm from one cell or
compartment to another.

7. Types of hyphae
• There are three types of hyphae among fungi.
• Coenocytic or non-septate hyphae
• Septate hyphae with uninucleated cell
• Septate hyphae with multinucleated cell

8. Characteristics Yeast Mold
Structure
Yeast are mostly unicellular and exist in
either individually or with buds
growing on them
Mold are multicellular with tubular and
filamentous hyphae
Structural Appearance Round or oval shaped Thread like filamentous
Color appearance Dull color and mostly monochromatic Wide variety of coloration
Habitat Most occur naturally in soil or ocean
Occur in any organic environment having
moist and humid atmosphere
Method of
reproduction Mainly by budding or binary fission
Mainly by spore formation (sexual and
asexual spore both)
Application or uses
Use in industries for ethanol
production, baking, food additive or
flavor etc
Used in biodegradation, bioremediation
as well as in antibiotic production
Oxygen requirement Aerobic and facultative anaerobes Strictly aerobic (obligate aerobes)
Examples
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida
albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans Rhizopus, Mold, Penicillium, Aspergillus

9. Reproduction in fungi
• Fungi reproduce sexually and
asexually by spores.
• Asexual reproduction occurs
in the fungi when spores
form by mitosis.
• These spores can be
• conidia,
• sporangiospores,
• arthrospores (fragments of
hyphae), or
• chlamydospores (spores with
thick walls).

10. Reproduction in fungi
• During sexual
reproduction,
compatible nuclei unite
within the mycelium and
form sexual spores.
• Sexually opposite cells
may unite within a single
mycelium, or different
mycelia may be required.
• When the cells unite, the
nuclei fuse and form a
diploid nucleus.

11. Importance of fungi
• i. Important agents for biodegradation and bio-deterioration
• ii. Use in industrial fermentation process.
• Examples; Penicillium notatum is used for production of
penicillin antibiotics
• Aspergillus niger is used for prodution of citric acid
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used for alcohol production
• iii. Used in bioremediation (reduces toxic concentration)
• iv. Used in agriculture, horticulture and forestry, example;
biofertilizer and biopesticides

12. Classification of fungi.
• The kingdom fungi is classified into 4 division
1. Ascomycetes
2. Basidiomycetes
3. Zygomycetes
4. Deuteromycetes

13. Ascomycetes
• Sexual spore produced within a
sac like structure called ascus.
• Sexual spore are called ascospore
• Asexual reproduction occurs by
conidia
• Ascomycetes are also known as
sac mycetes.
• Hyphae are generally septated
• Examples: Saccharomyces,
Arthroderma

14. Basidiomycetes
• Sexual spore are produced
externally on a basidium
• Sexual spore are known as
basidiospore
• Asexual reproduction occurs
by budding, fragmentation or
conidia formation
• They are commonly called as
mushroom group
• Hyphae are generally septated
• Examples: Amanita, Agaricus

15. Zygomycetes
• Sexual spore are known as
Zygospore
• Zygospore is formed by
fusion of two similar cells.
• Asexual reproduction
occurs by sporangiospore
• Hypahe are generally
aseptated.
• Examples: Rhizopus, Mucor

16. Deuteromycetes
• No sexual stage is present
• Deuteromycetes are also
known as fungi imperfecti.
• Asexual reproduction
occurs by means of
conidia.
• Most of the human and
animal pathogens are
present in this class.
• Examples: Candida,
Cryptococcus,
Trichophyton,
Epidermophyton,
Histoplasma

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