The document provides an overview of fungi, including their characteristics, structure, nutrition, life cycles, and classification into four main phyla: Zygomycota, Basidiomycota, Ascomycota, and Deuteromycota. It highlights the economic importance of fungi, noting both beneficial roles, such as decomposition and food production, and harmful effects, including diseases and food spoilage. Additional topics addressed include fungal reproduction, mycorrhizal relationships, and lichen associations.

1. Kingdom Fungi

2. What will welearn?
Fungi
 Characteristics
 Structure
 Nutrition
 Life cycle
 Classification of fungi
Phylum Zygomycota
 Characteristics
 Life Cycle
Phylum Deuteromycota
 Characteristics
 Life Cycle
Economic Importance of Fungi
 Uses
 Harms(Human, Plant diseases, food spoilage)

3. Overview of fungi - Characteristics
Fungi are :
◦ Eukaryotic(Have nuclei and
mitochondria, so they are eukaryotic)
◦ Nonphotosynthetic
◦ Multicellular – most
◦ Depend on other organisms for their
nutrition, so heterotrophs
Fungi examples: Molds, mushrooms
and yeast

4. Characteristics
Fungi resemble plants in that they they
have cell walls & they are non-motile and
some are edible to provide food for
heterotrophs.
Fungi differ from plants
◦ Lack chlorophyll
◦ Not photosynthetic
◦ Never produce seeds
◦ Cells wall are made of chitin NOT cellulose

5. Structure of fungiThe study of fungi is called mycology
The body of a fungus consists of tiny filaments called hyphae
Hyphae are tiny tubes filled with cytoplasm and nuclei.
The cell walls of hyphae contain chitin.
Chitin is a complex polysaccharide not found in bacteria, protists or other
microorganisms but found in insects.

6. Structure of fungi
Some hyphae are divided by cross
section segments called septa
Septa have holes through which
cytoplasm and organelles can
move from segment to segment.

7. Structure of hyphae
Hyphae whose cells are
divided by septa are called
septate hyphae
Hyphae that do not have
septa are called coenocytic

8. Growth of fungi
Hyphae increase length by cellular growth and division at the TIP.
As the hyphae grow, the size of the mycelium increase

9. Nutrition of fungi
All fungi are heterotrophs, so obtain
their nutrition from other organisms.
Most fungi are decomposers or
recyclers.
Fungi digest their food outside of their
bodies by secreting enzymes that break
down organic material.
The fungi then absorbs food through
their cell walls.
Fungi store their energy in the form of
glycogen.

10. Nutrition of Fungi
Most fungi are saprotroph, they
obtain their nutrients by digesting
and absorbing nutrients from dead
organic matter.
Some fungi are parasites and
obtain their nutrients from living
hosts.
Eg. Rust & smut
Few fungi are predators, having
the ability to trap their food.
Eg. Oyster mushroom

11. Reproduction in fungi
Many fungi can reproduce
both asexually and sexually
Sexual reproduction usually
occurs when nutrients or
water become scarce.

12. Asexual reproduction in fungi
Some unicellular fungi can
reproduce by mitosis
Yeast cells reproduce by a process of
budding, a process in which part of
the cell pinches itself off to produce
small offspring.
Most fungi can grow from a small
piece of mycelium called
fragmentation.

13. Asexual reproduction in fungiMost fungi can reproduce asexually by
spores.
Spores are the means by which fungi
are dispersed.
Each spore contains a nucleus and
dehydrated cytoplasm surrounded by
a protected coat.

14. Sexual reproduction in fungi
There are no male and female
fungi
The two mating types are called
PLUS mating type and MINUS
mating type.
Fertilization occurs when the
hyphae from a plus and minus fuse
& form zygospore

16. Classification of fungiThere are approximately 100 000 species of fungi classified into four phyla
Traditionally fungi are classified according to their structures and form of sexual
reproduction.
There are four classes of fungi:
◦ Zygomycota
◦ Basidiomycota
◦ Ascomycota
◦ Deuteromycota

17. Phylum zygomycota –
common molds
600 species
Most species are terrestrial organisms found primarily in soil that is rich in organic
matter or on decaying plant matter
The hyphae are coenocytic
Common bread mold is an example

18. Zygomycota – “zygote fungi”
Sexual Reproduction - zygosporangia
Asexual reprod. – common (sporangia
– bags of asexual spores)
Hyphae have no cross walls
Grow rapidly
Decomposers, pathogens, and some
form mycorrhizal associations with
plants
Rhizopus on strawberries
Rhinocerebral zygomycosis

19. Phylum zygomycota
The hyphae of common molds show
some specialization of function:
◦ Rhizoids – the part of the hyphae
used by the fungus to anchor to its
source of food.
◦ Stolons – hyphae that connect one
group of rhizoids to another.

20. Life cycle of zygomycetes
Common mold life cycles include
both asexual and sexual but most
often they are in asexual mode.
When hyphae of different mating
type grow close to each other the
mold may reproduce sexually by
conjugation

21. Phylum zygomycota
The mold develops special
extensions for mating called
gamatangium.
The gamatangia from two type grow
together and fuse
Nuclei from the two types mix and
form a zygosporangium which is a
resting stage of fungi.

22. Phylum Zygomycota
When conditions improve, the
diploid zygosporangium cracks open
and a sporangiophore grows and
forms a sporangium
The sporangium releases thousands
of haploid spores.

23. ZYGOMYCOTA LIFE CYCLE

24. Phylum deuteromycota
17000 species
These are known as the imperfect fungi
because there is no sexual reproductive
phase in their life cycle
They are characterized by the production
of septate hyphae
E.g. Penicillium & aspergillus
Aspergillus are used for fermenting soya
sauce
Penicillium is used to make penicillin
They grow on stored feed, growing plants,
crops & damp indoor spaces

25. LIFE CYCLE
 The reproduce asexually by means of conidia. A conidium is an
asexual spore that is not produces in sporangium

26. WHAT IS CONIDIUM?

27. fungal Relationships -
mycorrhizaeA mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a fungus and plant roots
Mycorrhizae are mutualistic associations

28. fungal relationships -
mycorrhizae
The fungus benefits because it can
absorb nutrients (sugars) made by
the plant
The plant benefits in two ways
◦ The hyphae act a root extensions so
increases the plants ability to absorb
water
◦ The digestive enzymes help
breakdown organic matter in the soil
that the plants are able to absorb

29. Fungal relationships - lichen
A lichen is a mutualistic association
between a fungus and a
photosynthetic organism.
The fungus is usually an
ascomycetes and the photosynthetic
organism is usually an alga
Fungi get food through the courtesy
of algae & provides moisture, shelter
and anchorage to algae

30. Economic importance of fungi
BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF FUNGI
Decomposition - nutrient and carbon
recycling.
Many fungi are valuable food sources, such
as yeast, mushrooms, morels, truffles,
Portobello, Shitake, Porcini, Button
Mushrooms.
Biosynthetic factories. Can be used to
produce drugs, antibiotics, alcohol, acids,
food (e.g., fermented products, mushrooms).
Yeast - Unicellular fungus
Fermentation --> yeast in anaerobic
environments produces CO2 and
alcohol—causes bread to rise
Fungi are also used to produce Medicines
like: penicillin

31. Fungi in industry
Harmful Effects of Fungi
◦ Destruction of food, paper,
and cloth.
◦ Animal and human diseases,
including allergies.
◦ Toxins produced by
poisonous mushrooms and
within food (e.g., grain,
cheese, etc.).
◦ Plant diseases.

32. Ringworm

33. Fungi & human disease

35. Plant Diseases
There are many different
fungal infections that can
hurt or kill plants.
Many fungi are plant
pathogens that attack
grain and fruit
Wheat rust kills wheat
crops in North America 
Others plant disease
example is downy &
powdery mildews

38. THANK YOU