Fascinating World of Fungi: Characteristics and History

1. FUNGI

2. CHARACTERISTICS • EUKARYOTIC • MOST MULTICELLULAR • HETEROTROPHIC : SAPROBES OR PARASITIC • BODY IS MADE OF HYPHAE • HAVE CELL WALLS MADE OF CHITIN

3. EARLIEST FUNGI FOSSILS ARE ABOUT 500 MILLION YEARS OLD A FUNGUS IN WASHINGTON STATE COVERS AN AREA OF 1500 ACRES FUNGI REPRODUCE ASEXUALLY AND SEXUALLY, AND ARE CHARACTERIZED BY THEIR METHOD OF REPRODUCTION FACTS

4. PROS EDIBLE DECOMPOSERS BREADS PENICILLUM CYCLOSPORINE PREFERRED OVER BACTERIA FOR GENETIC ENGINEERING CONS ATHLETES FOOT JOCK ITCH YEAST INFECTIONS MOLDY BREAD MILDEW RINGWORM SOME ARE TOXIC HISTOPLASMOSIS (95% in H.I.V. cases) SICK BUILDING SYNDROME PROS & CONS

5. Fungi and History! • Ergot is the common name of a fungus that infects grains. • Eating infected bread made from the grains causes Ergotism. • Ergotism causes convulsions, mental disturbances, and perceptual distortions. • Women accused of witchcraft in the 1600’s may have been suffering from Ergotism!

7. ZYGOMYCOTA • 600 SPECIES • COMMONLY FOUND IN SOIL & DUNG • MOLDS

8. Shotgun Fungus

9. “SAC FUNGI” • 30,000 SPECIES • FOUND IN SOIL, DUNG, ROTTING LOGS, SALT AND FRESH WATER. • INCLUDES: YEASTS, MORELS, TRUFFLES ASCOMYCOTA

10. BASIDIOMYCOTA • “CLUB FUNGI” • 25,000 SPECIES • MOSTLY TERRESTRIAL • INCLUDES THE MUSHROOMS, TOADSTOOLS, PUFFBALLS, SHELF FUNGI, RUSTS AND SMUTS

11. ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION • ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION IS CALLED FRAGMENTATION. • THIS FORM OF REPRODUCTION IS RARE IN THIS GROUP, EXCEPT IN SOME RUSTS AND SMUTS.

12. SEXUAL REPRODUCTION

13. DEUTEROMYCOTA • “FUNGI IMPERFECTI” • 10,000 SPECIES • TERRESTRIAL • INCLUDES ASPERGILLUS, PENICILLUM, ATHLETE’S FOOT, & RINGWORM

14. More Parasitic Fungi