Fungi are eukaryotic, spore-bearing organisms that are either unicellular or multicellular. They lack chlorophyll and obtain nutrients heterotrophically. The basic fungal body is called a thallus, which is composed of branched filamentous structures called hyphae. Hyphae can be septate or aseptate. Mycelium is a network of hyphae that can be colored or hyaline. Fungi reproduce both asexually through spores like conidia or sexually through the fusion of gametes to form ascospores or basidiospores. Common asexual fruiting bodies include pycnidia, acervuli and sporod

1. GENERAL CHARACTERS OF
FUNGI
Akshaya.CK
Asst. Prof. (Plant pathology)

2. FUNGI ❖Domain: Eukaryan
❖Kingdom: Fungi
❖Unicellular/multicellular
❖Spore bearing
❖Achlorophyllus
❖Heterotrophic organism
❖Cell wall – Chitin / Cellulose
❖Fungal body- thallus
❖Basic unit – Hyphae – A filamentous
Structure contains protoplasm
❖Reproduce : asexual &sexual reproduction

3. Hypha (Pl. hyphae) - WEB
❖Thin transparent, filamentous basic
unit of fungi- filled with protoplasm
❖With septa – Septate hypha
❖Without segmentation – Aseptate/
Coenocytic hyphae

4. Septum
⚫ Septation in Fungi
:(septum=hedge/partition) (pl.septa)
⚫ Partitions or cross walls which divide the fungus
into a number of compartments /cells. These
cross walls are called septa

5. Types of Septa.
● Based on formation
● Primary septum
● Adventious septum
● Based on construction
● Simple septum
● Complex septum
● Based on perforation
● Complete septum
● Incomplete septum

6. Mycelium (Pl. Mycelia)
❖Group of hyphae /Aggregation of hyphae
❖Branched /without branched
❖Coloured /colourless (based on pigment
produce by fungi)
❖Colourless mycelium –hyaline mycelium
❖Ectophytic mycelium- On the surface of
the host
❖Endophytic mycelium- Into the host cell
❖Intercellular mycelium- between the cells
❖Intracellular mycelium – into the cells

9. ENDOPHYTIC MYCELIUM
❖Intercellular mycelium- between the cells
❖Eg. Albugo candida
❖Intracellular mycelium – into the cells
❖ Eg. Fusarium oxysporium

11. The Fungal tissues
⚫Plectenchyma (Woven Tissue)
◦ Prosenchyma
●Loosely attached ,parallel to each strand
◦ Pseudoparenchyma
●Compactly attached , isodiametric or oval in
shape , resemble - plant Parenchymatous
cells

13. Fungal mycelial modification
❖In most of the fungi, during certain stages of its life
cycle the mycelium hyphae become organised into
loosely or compactly wooven tissue which are
distinguishable from normal hyphae.
❖Rhizomorph
❖Appresorium
❖Haustorium
❖Sclerotium
❖Stroma
❖Rhizoids

14. Purpose:
1. to obtain nourishment i. e., for nutrition .
2. to resist or tolerate unfavourable
conditions for their survival i.e., over
wintering, over summering.
3. For reproduction.

15. 1.Rhizomorphs: ( rhiza=root,
morph=shape)
Thick strands
The structure of growing tip of rhizomorphs
resemble that of a root tip,
❖long root like strands of compact masses
❖possess thick hardy cortex and growing tip
Eg. Armillariella mellea.

16. Appressorium:
❖ Localized swellings of the tip of germ
tube
❖ helps in attachment between the
host and fungal spore
❖ anchoring organ

17. Haustorium:
❖ Organ for absorption
❖ Lateral outgrowth of intercellular /
superficial hyphae

19. RHIZOIDS
 (rhiza=root, oeides=like)
 Slender root like branched structures found in the substratum
produced by some fungi
 Useful for anchoring the thallus to substratum and for obtaining
nourishment from the substrate.
 Eg. Rhizopus stolonifer.

21. A- RHIZOMORPH B. SCLEROTIUM C. STROMA D. APPRESORIUM
E.HAUSTORIUM

22. Fungal nutrition:
Fungi are heterotrophic with holophytic nutrition(
absorptive type).
 The essential elements for fungi are, C, H, O, N, P, K, S,
Zn, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Cu and Ca.
Reserve food material -Either fat or
carbohydrates.
Fats may be present in the form - carbohydrates in the
form of glycogen or sugars.
Starch is never present in the fungal cell.

23. Groups of fungi based on mode
of nutrition:
 Saprophytes
 Obligate saprophyte
 Facultative parasite
 Parasites
 Obligate parasite
 Facultative saprophyte

24. 1. Saprophytes ( sapros=rotten,
phytos=plant )
 Organisms which obtain nutrition on
from dead organic matter either
completely or for a part of their life.
 Eg. Saprolegnia, Rhizopus, Mucor,
Alternaria.

25. Obligate saprophytes (obligare =to
bind it self)
 Organisms which can never grow on
living organisms or can never obtain their
food from living source.
 They get their food only from dead
organic matter.
 Eg. Mucor, Agaricus .

26. Facultative parasite:
(facultas=ability)
 Organisms which are usually saprophytic
but have ability to become as parasites.
 Eg. Pythium aphanidermatum, Fusarium
solani, Rhizoctonia solani.

27. 2.Parasites:
Organisms which live within or out side
another organisms for their nutrition
either completely or for a part of their
life .
Pathogen : If a parasite damages the host
then they are called as pathogens..
All pathogens are not parasites and all parasites need not be
pathogens .

28.  Obligate parasites: (Organisms which
obtain food only from living organisms (
living protoplasm) and can never derive
their food from dead organic matter or
artificial medium. Eg. Puccinia graminis
, Plasmopara viticola .
 Facultative saprophytes: Organisms
which are usually parasites but have
ability to become saprophytes
.Eg. Ustilago maydis

30. spores
⚫ (Gr. 'Sporos - seed, spore) Minute
propagative units of the fungus.
⚫ Spores are produced through asexual
and sexual reproduction. These spores
are either coloured or hyaline and with
or without septations.
◦ Asexual spores are formed without fusion
of male and female gametes.
◦ Sexual spores are formed by fusion of male
and female gametes.

31. Asexual spores
⚫ i) Sporangiospore (Gr. spora = seed, angeion = vessel ).
It is a motile or non-motile asexual spore formed
endogenously within a sporangium.
◦ a) Planospores - a motile spore, also called as
Zoospores which possess a swimming apparatus
called flagella - Whiplash or tinsel like structure with
which zoospore move. Eg. Pythium,
Phytophthora,Plasmodiophora brassicae etc.,
◦ b) Aplanospores: (Gr) -- A non motile spore. Eg :
Rhizopus, Mucor.
⚫ ii) Conidium (Conidia-Konis - Dust)
◦ An asexually produced fungal spore formed
exogenously at the end of a stalk called conidiophore.
Eg. F. udum - pigeonpea wilt.

32. Classification of conidia based
on colour and septation
⚫ Septate & Non-septate
⚫ Septate
◦ Coloured - Helminthosporium
◦ Hyaline- Fusarium oxysporum
◦ f.sp.udum
⚫ Non-septate
◦ Coloured –
● Aspergillus sp.
● Trichoderma sp.
● Penicillium sp.
◦ Hyaline
● Colletotrichum capsici

33. Asexual Fruiting Bodies
⚫ i Sporangium
⚫ ii Pycnidium
⚫ iii Acervulus
⚫ iv Sporodochium
⚫ V Synnema
⚫ vi Sorus

34. ⚫ i Sporangium: (Gr. spora = seed, spore +
angeion = vessel). It is a sac-like structure, the
entire protoplasmic contents become converted
into an indefinite number of spores.
◦ Eg. White rust of Crucifers - Albugo candida
⚫ ii Pycnidium: (Gr Pykon - Concentrated -I-
idion - dimin) (PI. Pycnidia)
⚫ An asexual, hollow flask shaped fruiting body,
lined inside with conidiophores.
⚫ Eg: Macrophomina, Phoma, Diplodia,
Botryodiplodia etc.,

35. ⚫ iii Acervulus : (Acervuli - Pl ) (L) Acervulus -
heap
A mat of hyphae giving rise to short conidiophores
closely packed together and forming a bed like
mass. Eg: Colletotrichum capsici
⚫ iv Sporodochium : (Gr - Sporos - Seed/Spore +
Docheion -Container)
⚫ A cushion shaped stroma covered with
conidiophores. Eg: Nectria galligena, Fusarium sp.
Stroma (Gr) - Mattress. Compact somatic mat
like structure on which fruiting bodies develop.

36. ⚫ V . Synnema : Synnemata : (Gr - Syn =
together + Nema - Yarn)
A group of conidiophores cemented together
and forming elongated spore-bearing
structure. Eg. Graphium, Cerotocystis
⚫ Vi. Sorus (Sori): (Gr- Sorus- Heap). The
spore bearing hyphae are grouped into
small to large masses or clusters
Eg: Puccinia, Hemileia (Rust) and
Sporisorium (Smut)

38. II. Sexual spores
⚫ Spores formed by the fusion of male and
female gametes produced by
the fungi.
◦ i) Oospore (Gr. Oon = egg + spora = seed /
spore)
◦ ii) Zygospore (Gr. zygos = yoke + spora: =
seed, spore)
◦ iii) Ascospore (Gr. Askos = sac + sporos =
seed, spore)
◦ iv) Basidiospore (Gr. Basidion = small base +
spora = seed, spore)

39. SEXUAL FRUITING BODIES
⚫ ASCOCARP
⚫ BASIDIOCARP

40. 1. Ascocarp: (Gr) Ascus - Sac;
Karpos - Fruit)
⚫ The fruiting body containing asci is
termed as ascocarp.
⚫ Types of ascocarp
Chasmothecium

41. Chasmothecium:
⚫ Completely closed ascocarp with basal arrangement of asci
⚫ (Eg.) Erysiphe, Leveillula, Uncinula etc,
Cleistothecium: (Gr) Kleistos– Closed : theke – case; Completely closed ascocarp with scattered
asci.
⚫ Eg. Penicillium and Aspergillus
Apothecium : (Apothecke - Store house) Saucer shaped open ascocarp
⚫ Eg. Diplocarpon rosae, Sclerotinia spp.
⚫ Perithecium : (Gr- Peri - around; theke – case) Flask shaped closed
ascocarp with an opening called ostiole and ascus wall is single
⚫ Eg. Claviceps
⚫ Ascostroma / Pseudothecium: More or less flask shaped resembling
perithecium whose asci are not arranged in hymenial layer and asci with bitunicate wall and
disperse ascospores suddenly.
⚫ Eg. Venturia inaequalis - Apple scab
⚫ Naked asci -Taphrina

42. ⚫ 2. Basidiocarp
⚫ Fruiting body of basidiomycotina bearing
basidiospores.
⚫ i). Mushroom – soft fruiting body without
hymenial pore Eg. Pleurotus andAgaricus
⚫ ii) Bracket – hard fruiting body with
hymenial pores Eg. Ganoderma

43. Basidiocarp

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