Fungi are microscopic, filamentous organisms that reproduce sexually and asexually. They have hyphae that make up the mycelium or filamentous body of the fungus. Specialized structures include rhizoids for attachment, haustoria for nutrient absorption, and sclerotia or chlamydospores for surviving harsh conditions. Fungi reproduce through both sexual spores like ascospores and asexual spores including conidia.

1. Mr. S. Chandraprakash,
Department of Crop Protection
GENERAL CHARACTERS OF FUNGI

2. Fungi
Vegetative structures
Cell structure
Fungal Tissue
arrangements
Specialized somatic
structures
Resting structures

3. Fungi are the microscopic, filamentous, heterotrophic,
eukaryotic, achlorophyllous, unicellular or multicellular
organisms which may reproduce by asexual and sexual
spores.
Fungi is a plant which can not differentiated into leaf,
root, Stem etc.

4. Vegetative structure
Plant
Fungi

5. Cytoplasm contains organelles such as
mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, ribosomes,
vacuoles, vesicles, microbodies, endoplasmic
reticulum, lysosomes

6. Plasma membrane or plasmalemma cell
membrane which enclosed the living
protoplast of the fungal cells
True fungi
Cell wall made up of
Chitin
False fungi
Cell wall made up
of Cellulose
chief storage products
of fungi are glycogen
and lipid

7. Nucleus has nuclear envelope comprising of two
typical unit membranes and a central dense area
known as nucleolus, which mainly consist of RNA

8. Thallus (Pl. Thalli) – The entire fungal body

9. Thallus
Eucarpic thallus Holocarpic thallus
Mushroom

10. Only portion of thallus
become reproductive and
the remaining continue to
grow vegetatively
vegetative and
reproductive phases occur
together
thallus is differentiated
into vegetative part and
reproductive part
Oomycota, Ascomycota,
Basidiomycota
Eucarpic thallus / Filamentous thallus

11. Entire thallus is converted
into reproductive structure
vegetative and
reproductive phases don’t
occur together in the same
thallus
The thallus does not
show any differentiation
on vegetative and
reproductive structure
Holocarpic thallus / Unicellular thallus
Yeast

12. Hypha (Pl. Hyphae) - Unit of Fungi
Mycelium (pl. Mycelia) - The hyphal mass

13. Tubular, transparent filament, usually branched,
composed of an outer cell wall and a cavity (lumen)
lined or filled with protoplasm including cytoplasm
Hyphae are divided into
compartments or cells by
cross walls called septa
1. septate (with cross wall)
2. coenocytic (aseptate -
without cross wall)
Hypha

14. septate
(with cross wall)
Coenocytic - aseptate
(without cross wall)

15. Simple septum
Dolipore septum

16. hyphal mass or network of hyphae
constituting the body (thallus) of the
fungus is called as mycelium
Mycelium
Based on their growth on the host
1. Ectophytic e.g., Erysiphe sp.
2. Endophytic e.g., Leveillula taurica
1. Septate
2. Aseptate
1. Intercellular
2. Intracellular
1. Coloured
2. Hyaline
(Colourless)

17. Intercellular mycelium
penetrates in between
cells
Intracellular mycelium
penetrates within the
cell

18. Hyaline Coloured
Aseptate
Pythium sp.
Phytophthora sp.
Septate
Fusarium sp
Pyricularia
Aseptate
Rhizopus sp.
Mucor
Septate
Alternaria,
Helminthosporium sp.
Mycelium

19. Types of mycelium based on presence of Nucleus
Monokaryotic
Dikaryotic
Homokaryotic
Heterokaryotic

20. Monokaryotic mycelium (uninucleate)
Mycelium contains single nucleus that usually forms
part of haplophase in the life cycle of fungi.
Dikaryotic mycelium (binucleate)
Mycelium contains pair of nuclei (dikaryon), which
denotes the diplophase in the life cycle of fungi.
Homokaryotic mycelium
The mycelium contains genetically identical nuclei.
Heterokaryotic mycelium
The mycelium contains nuclei of different genetic
constituents.
Multinucleate
The fungal cell contains more than 2 nuclei.

21. 1. Prosenchyma
loosely woven and the hyphae
lie parallel to one another
Plectenchyma
loosely or compactly
woven fungal tissues
have
distinguishable
and typical
elongated cells
2. Pseudoparenchyma (Gr. Pseudo = false) consists of
closely packed, more or less isodiametric or oval cells
resembling the parenchyma cells of vascular plants
not
distinguishable

22. Fungi
Thallus
Mycelium
Hypha
Holocarpic
Coloured
& Hyaline
Eucarpic
Septate &
Aseptate
Plectenchyma Prosenchyma
Pseudoparanchyma
Short
summary

23. Specialized somatic structures
Rhizoid Appressorium Haustorium Stroma

24. a short, root-like filamentous outgrowth of the thallus
generally formed in tufts at the base of small
unicellular thalli or small sporophores
1. Rhizoid
(Gr. rhiza = root + oeides = like)
1. Anchoring or attachment organ
2. Absorption of nutrients Chytridiomycetes,
Oomycetes
Zygomycetes
Specialized somatic structures

25. 2. Appressorium (Anchoring organ) (pl.
appresoria; L. apprimere = to press against)
Uredinales (rust fungi),
Erysiphales (powdery mildew
fungi) other fungi in their
parasitic or saprophytic stages
1. Pressing organ
2. Attach to the
surface of the host

26. 3. Haustorium (Feeding or absorbing organ)
(sing. haustorium; L. haustor = drinker)
special hyphal structures or outgrowths of somatic
hyphae sent into the cell to absorb nutrients
knob-like
branched like a miniature root system balloon like

27. 4. Stroma (pl. stromata)
(Gr. stroma = mattress)
a compact, somatic structure or hyphal aggregation
similar to a mattress or a cushion made up of
prosenchyma and pseudoparenchyma
Stromata bear sporophores
producing spores
Phore
Stem
sporophores
spores

28. Resting structures / Resting bodies / Specialized structures /
overwintering or oversummering structures / Dormant
structures
Rhizomorph Sclerotium Chlamydospore

29. 1. Rhizomorph
(Gr. rhiza=root + morphe = shape)
Found in honey fungus
or honey agaric
Armillariea mellea
Long root like strands of closely packed parallel
or interwoven hyphae forming compact masses in
order to withstand adverse condition
Grow faster than the
mycelial strands

30. 2. Sclerotium
a resting body formed by aggregation of
somatic hyphae into dense, rounded, flattened,
elongated or horn-shaped dark masses
thick-walled resting
structures, which contain
food reserves
1.Hard structures resistant
to unfavourable physical
and chemical conditions
2.Germinate on the return
of favourable conditions
Rhizoctonia, Sclerotium, Sclerotinia, Claviceps, Botrytis

31. Types of Sclerotia
1. Myceliogenous
Germinate and directly
produce the mycelium
Sclerotium rolfsii,
S. cepivorum and
Rhizoctonia solani
2. Sporogenous
bear mass of spores.
e.g. Botrytis cinerea
3. Carpogenous
Produce a spore fruit
e.g. Sclerotinia sp.
Claviceps purpurea

32. Intercalary
chlamydospores
Apical
chlamydospores
3. Chlamydospore is a thick-walled thallic conidium
that generally function as a resting spore
e.g.
Fusarium
Mucor
Conidium
Asexual spore of
fungi
They become separated
from each other by the
disintegration of
intervening hyphae

33. Inoculum – Any part of the pathogen that is capable of
establishing infection
Inoculum
Vegetative mycelium Spores
Dormant
mycelium
Specialized mycelial
structures
e.g. Rhizomorph,
Sclerotia and
Chlamydospores
Asexual spores
Sporangiospores
Conidia Sexual spores
Oospores,
Zygospores,
Ascospores,
Basidiospores

34. Haustorium
Rhizoids
Spore
Germ tube
Spore germination and Absorption of Nutrients

35. Reproduction
Sexual fruiting bodies and Sexual spores
Asexual fruiting bodies and Asexual spores
Thank you

36. Fill in the blanks:
1. Mass of Hyphal mass is
2. is a unit of Fungi
3. is a Anchoring organ of Fungi
4. Drinking organ of fungi is
5. Thick walled conidium is
6. Loosely or compactly woven fungal tissues are
called as
7. Thallus is of Fungi
8. Hyaline means
9. Aseptate hypa also called as
10. Cell wall of True fungi made up of
Mycelium
Hypha
Appressorium
Haustorium
Chlamydospores
Plectenchyma
Entire body
Colourless
Coenocytic
Chitin