3. Fungi
• Diverse Kingdom
• Single cell / multicellular
• All are heterotrophic
• Produce “exoenzymes” &
spores (not same as
bacteria)
• Yeast, mushrooms, molds,
lichens
4.
5. Important roles of fungi
• Decomposers
• Symbiotic relationship w/plants
• Bread, wine, beer, antibiotics
• Similar to animal cells
– “model” organisms
6. Yeast - single cell fungi
• Crucial to our daily lives - foods
• Yeast can use sugar to produce alcohol
– When [O2] drops
• Model system to study genetics, cell
division
(See Fig. 8.1)
7. Mycotoxins
• Many types of fungi produce toxins
• Some are helpful (antibiotics)
• Some harmful (carcinogenic)
• Some deadly (Amanita mushroom)
11. Animal pathogens
• Many fungal infections are opportunistic
• Candida
• Cryptococcus neoformans (birds)
– infection of lungs & meninges
– Very dangerous for AIDS, immuno-suppressed
• Very difficult to treat
13. Bacteria(& Archaea) are among
the most abundant organisms on
earth
• Outnumber eukaryotes
• Outweigh eukaryotes
• Diverse environments
– Metabolically diverse
• ID’d ~2% of total species on Earth
• Cyanobacteria
21. Domain Archaea
• Originally identified
“extremophiles”
• Live in hyper-saline environments
• Methanogens – produce methane
– biofuel
• Extreme heat
• Some live in ocean and in your
mouth, though!
