FUNGI

1. CHARACTERISTIC OF FUNGI
a. Eucaryotic
b. Have a cell wall composed of chitin
c. Lack of chlorophyll
d. Most are multicellular
2. STRUCTURE of FUNGI
Filamentous multicellular fungi are composed of long cells
called hyphae.
In some species, hyphae have a partition or internal cross
wall that borders each neighboring cell called septum .
Hyphae that lack of septum called coenocytic hyphae.
3. LIFE CYCLE OF FUNGI
All fungi are heterotrophic. They life by absorbing
organic materials from their environment.
a. Saprophytes
Fungi which is saprophytic obtain their organic food
from the remains or living organisms or dead matter
such as manure, leaves, and etc.
b. Parasites
Parasitic fungi obtain organic substances from other
living organisms. These fungi are detrimental to their
hosts because they generally cause diseases.
c. Mutual Symbiotics
Mutual fungi live in mutualism with their host, for
example lichens and mycorrhiza.

4. HABITAT OF FUNGI
Fungi live on diverse regions, mostly on damp terrestrial
place. However there are a lot of fungi that also live on the
remains of aquatic organisms, both freshwater or marine.
5. REPRODUCTION of FUNGI
Fungi reproduction is done:
Asexually
- unicellular : budding and fragmentation
- multicellular : spore (sporangiospore/canidiospore)
Sexually
-sexual spore :
zigospore, ascospore, or basidiospore
6. CLASSIFICATION of FUNGI
a) Zygomycota
Have you ever see a moldy bread? The mold on the
bread is a type of fungi from the group of Zygomycota.
Body structure
The body of Zygomycota is composed of hyphae that
lack of septum. Sporangium is the structure that
produces vegetative spores. Sexual reproduction
produces thick-walled and black zygosporangium.
Zygomycota do not have fruiting bodies.
Habitat
Zygomycota mostly live as a saprophytes on terrestrial
regions, food, or remains of living organisms. Some are
also found living as a parasites that cause diseases in
humans and plants.

The role of Zygomycota

There are 600 species identified Zygomycota. Some are
useful in the food industry such as Rhizopus oryzae
in tempe production and Mucor javanicus for tape.
Other species like Rhizopus stolonifer (grow on stale
bread), Rhizopus nigricans (grows on tomatoes), Mucor
mucedo, and Pilobolus are saprophytic decomposers of
organisms or food remains. Some of species Zygomycota
form symbiotic relationship with the roots of complex
plants (micorrhiza).
b) Ascomycota
Do you know oncom? Or surely you know
bread. Both foods are processed using mold
from the group of Ascomycota.
Body structure
Ascomycota are mostly multicellular. A
famous unicellular Ascomycota is
Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast).
Multicellular Ascomycota have segmented
hyphae and some of them do not form
fruiting bodies such as Neurospora crassa,
Xylaria comosa, Nectria cinnabarina, Tuber
melanosporum are those with fruiting bodies.
The shape of fruiting bodies vary such as

bowl shaped, round, and rod. Sexual

reproduction is by producing ascus.
Habitat
Ascomycota are mostly saprophytes that live
in soil and the remains of living organisms.
Some other Ascomycota are animal and
human parasites. It is estimated that around
half of the 60,000 known species of
Ascomycota live in symbiosis with algae in
the form of lichens.
Role of Ascomycota
1.Saccharomyces cerevisiae; yeast used in
baking and brewing
2.Saccharomyces ellipsoideus; for making
wine
3.Neurospora crassa; for making oncom
4.Venturia inaequalis causes apple fruit
disease
c) Basidiomycota
Body structure
Basiodiomycota are multicellular fungi that
have segmented hyphae (septum). The
generative hyphae of some species forms
fruiting bodies are called basidiokarp.
Basidiokarp is macroscopic in size with shape

like umbrella, ear lobe, and half-circle. So

that it can be seen with naked eye.
Habitat
Basidiomycota mostly live as saprophytes on
the remains of living things such as manure
on the soil, straw, or dead tree bark. Parasitic
ones live on hosts such as plants an animals .
The role of Basidiomycota
This group mushrooms contains around
25,000 identified species. Some of the
beneficial species are:
1.Auricularia polytricha (Jamur kuping)
2.Volvariella volvacea (Jamur merang)
3.Lentinula edodes (Jamur shintake) for
consume
4.Ganoderma ( Reishi mushroom) for
medicine
Meanwhile , examples of detrimental
Basidiomycota are:
1.Ustilago maydis; a corn parasites
2.Amanita muscaria; cause hallucinations
3.Puccinia graminis; is a leaf parasite
d) Deuteromycetes
Deuteromycetes is not a group of real
fungi. Every fungus that has been
identified but its method of
reproduction is not yet known is

classified in this group. Deuteromycetes

are also called imperfect fungi.
7.

LICHENS AND MICORRHIZA

Symbiotic form of mutualism between fungi and

the roots of complex plants.

Without mycorrhiza, some plants cannot absorb

enough water and mineral for their maximum
growth

Mycorrhiza are classified to:

a. ectomycorrhiza (fungi cover the surface of the
root cells)
b. endomycorrhiza ( fungal hyphae infect the
inner tissues of the root)