Mycology.ppt

Mycology Study of Fungi Characteristics Diverse group of chemoheterotrophs 90,000 known species Saprophytes Digest dead organic matter Parasites Obtain nutrients from tissues of organisms Molds mushrooms are multicellular Yeasts are unicellular Significance Beneficial Decompose dead organisms Recycle nutrients Mycorrhizae Association with roots of vascular plants-truffles oak Assist in absorption of water minerals Control of pests -Gypsy moth Food antibiotics Parasitic Fungi Fungal diseases of plants, animals, humans, bacteria Irish potatoes Dutch elm disease Death of chestnut trees Crop damage-wilts, mildews Spoilage of food- bread, oranges, jams Athlete’s foot, aspergillosis Nutrition All are chemoheterotrophs Absorption of nutrients: powerful exoenzymes Grow at lower pH-5 than bacteria Grow in high salt and sugar Metabolize complex CH2O like lignin in wood-wood rot Structure of Fungi Vegetative structures involved in catabolism and growth Thallus- in molds and fleshy fungi Tubular filaments of cells-hyphae Septate hyphae - cross walls that divide them into unicellullar units Pores to allow cytoplasm nuclei to pass Coenocytic hyphae- no septa, continuous cells with many nuclei Growth Elongate at tips of hyphae Mycelium- filamentous mass of hyphae visible to eye Aerial hypha or fruiting body- portion concerned with reproduction Some mycelium underground Asexual sexual spores ? Yeasts Unicellular fungi Budding yeasts-uneven cell division Protuberance forms -bud Nucleus divides one goes into bud Cell wall material laid down Pseudohypha Elongated chain of cells Candida albicans -buds fail to detach Allows yeast to invade deeper tissues Fission yeast Divide evenly like bacteria Visible growth on medium-colony Dimorphic Fungi Two forms of growth Grow either as a mold or as a yeast Dimorphism in pathogenic fungi is temperature dependent at 37 C yeast like growth at 25 C it is mold like Nonpathogenic: CO2 conc Mucor: on surface yeas