11.

4 DOMAIN EUKARYA:
KINGDOM FUNGI
 LEARNING OUTCOMES :
Describe unique characteristics of Fungi
State the classification of Fungi into
3 major phyla based on
types of spore-bearing structure :
- Zygomycota (Rhizopus sp.)
- Ascomycota (Penicillium sp.)
- Basidiomycota (Agaricus sp.)
 Compare and contrast the
nutritional mode of a fungus
with your own nutritional mode.
 Unique Characteristic of Fungi

• Multicellular eukaryotes, except yeast –

unicellular

• Cell wall : made up of complex carbohydrate

called chitin

• Food storage : Glycogen

 Unique Characteristic of Fungi
• Structural organization :
~ filamentous body plan
~ Basic units – hyphae (tiny filaments);
~ Hyphae elongate & branching forming
mycelia
 Unique Characteristic of Fungi

• Two types of hyphae:

1. Septate hyphae
Hyphae are divided; by cross wall called
septa (sing. septum)

Divide into individual cells

containing one that contain
one or more nuclei
 Unique Characteristic of Fungi

2. Coenocytic @ aseptate hyphae:

– Hyphae without septa
- Hyphae not divided into cells,
multinucleated hyphae
 Unique Characteristic of Fungi

Specialized hyphae : HAUSTORIA

- Present in mutualistic and parasitic fungi
- Function : extract nutrient from living plant
cell
 Haustoria :
Nutrients absorbing hyphal tips
that penetrate the tissues of host cells.
- Some fungi even have hyphae
adapted for preying on animals

Hyphae adapted for

trapping and killing prey
 Unique Characteristic of Fungi

• Mode of nutrition : Heterotrophic

i. Saprotrophs
~ Cells release digestive enzymes &
absorb nutrient molecules from dead
organic substances

ii. Parasites
~ Absorb nutrients from living hosts using
specialized hyphae – haustoria
 Unique Characteristic of Fungi

• Mode of nutrition : Heterotrophic

iii. Mutualists
~ Absorb nutrients or get protection
from other organism but give the host
cell benefits in return
~ e.g. mycorrhizae, lichen
 Mycorrhizae
• Mutual beneficial relationship between
fungi and plant roots
• Fungi – improve delivery of phosphate
ions and other minerals to plants
• Plants – supply the fungi with organic
nutrients such as carbohydrate
 Lichen
• Symbiotic association between a
photosynthetic microorganism (green
algae or cyanobacteria) and a fungus
• Algae or cyanobacteria provides carbon
compounds, cyanobacteria also fixes
nitrogen
• Fungus – provides photosynthetic
microorganism with suitable environment
for growth
– Allows gas exchange, protection, retains
water and minerals
 Unique Characteristic of Fungi

• Reproduction by forming spores

• Produce spores either sexually or asexually

Asexual reproduction :
produce haploid spore from by mitosis
 Unique Characteristic of Fungi

• Sexual reproduction:
- Syngamy occur during sexual reproduction
- Syngamy:
> The process of cellular union.
> There are 2 stages during syngamy
(i) Plasmogamy - fusion of cytoplasm
(ii) Karyogamy - fusion of nuclei
GENERAL LIFE CYCLE OF FUNGI
 CLASSIFICATION
Classification based on types of spore-bearing
structure:
KINGDOM FUNGI
Classified into 3 phyla

ZYGOMYCOTA ASCOMYCOTA BASIDIOMYCOTA

Rhizopus sp. Penicillium sp., Agaricus sp.

Saccharomyces sp.
 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PHYLA IN FUNGI

ZYGOMYCOTA ASCOMYCOTA BASIDIOMYCOTA

Sexual spore is Sexual spore is Sexual spore is

zygospore ascospore basidiospore
produced by produced by produced by
zygosporangium ascus basidium
(pl. (pl. asci) (pl. basidia)
zygosporangia)
Asexual spore is Asexual spore Asexual spore is
spore produce is conidia less in common
by sporangium produce (rarely occur)
externally at
conidiophore
 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PHYLA IN FUNGI

ZYGOMYCOTA ASCOMYCOTA BASIDIOMYCOTA

Coenocytic @ Septate hyphae Septate hyphae

aseptate
hyphae
e.g. Rhizopus e.g. e.g. Agaricus sp.
sp. Penicillium sp.
Saccharomyces
sp.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PHYLA IN FUNGI
PHYLUM ZYGOMYCOTA (e.g. Rhizopus sp.)
PHYLUM ASCOMYCOTA
Phylum Ascomycota, e.g. Neurospora crassa
Phylum Ascomycota (e.g. Penicillium sp.)

Conidia
(in a chain)

Sterigma

Conidiophore

Hypha
PHYLUM BASIDIOMYCOTA
Phylum Basidiomycota (e.g. Agaricus sp.)

Pileus
(club)

Gills
Stipe
(stalk)
 IMPORTANCE OF FUNGI

i. Decomposers
~ Saprophytic fungi breakdown complex
molecule in dead organism
~ Able to degrade cellulose and lignin
~ Recycle nutrient (e.g. N, C, S, P) into
ecosystem
Decomposer
Fungi
 IMPORTANCE OF FUNGI
ii. Symbionts

• Lichens : Symbiotic relationship between

fungi and algae / cyanobacteria
• Fungi provide suitable environment for
algal growth
• Algae/cyanobacteria provide carbon
and nitrogen for fungi
Lichen
 IMPORTANCE OF FUNGI
ii. Symbionts

• Mycorrhizae : symbiotic relationship

between fungi and plant root
• Mycorrhizal fungi increase surface area
of plant root to absorb more water and
mineral nutrients from soil
• Plant root provide organic nutrient for
fungi
 Mycorrhizae

mycorrhizae

Plant
without
Plant
associated with
Mycorrhizae
mycorrhizae mycorrhizae
 IMPORTANCE OF FUNGI
iii. Pathogens
For human diseases :
• e.g. Candida sp. (a type of Ascomycetes)
• Parasitic fungi cause candiasis (infection
in mouth, throat and vagina)
 IMPORTANCE OF FUNGI
iii. Pathogens
• Plant :
• Basidiomycetes
• Parasitic fungi cause smuts & rusts that
attack cereal wheat, corn and oats

• Ascomycetes
• Parasitic fungi cause brown rot that
attack cherry, peaches, apricots
Smuts and rusts

Brown rot
 IMPORTANCE OF FUNGI

iv. Food production ( fermented food )

• Edible mushroom ( e.g. Shitake mushroom,

button mushroom)
• Fermentation: production of cheese,
alcohol, bread
• Production of soy sauce by fermenting
soybeans with fungi
Edible mushrooms
 IMPORTANCE OF FUNGI
Fermented food
- Yeasts produce CO2 and ethyl alcohol
from sugar (e.g. glucose) by fermentation
to make bread and alcoholic beverages
Fermented food: cheese,
bread and wine
 IMPORTANCE OF FUNGI

v. Pharmaceutical

• Production of antibiotic
• e.g. Penicillium notatum produce
penicillin
• e.g. Cephalosporium sp. produce
cephalosporin
Penicillium notatum