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General Structure and Classification of Fungus: Sakshi Singh

Fungi have filamentous hyphae that form a net-like structure called a mycelium. They reproduce both sexually and asexually. There are four major classifications of fungi: zygomycetes, ascomycetes, basidiomycetes, and deuteromycetes. Zygomycetes form zygospores during sexual reproduction while ascomycetes and basidiomycetes form ascospores and basidiospores, respectively. Deuteromycetes are imperfect fungi that only reproduce asexually through conidia. Fungi can also be classified morphologically as yeasts, molds, yeast-like fungi, or dimorphic fungi

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124 views12 pages

General Structure and Classification of Fungus: Sakshi Singh

Fungi have filamentous hyphae that form a net-like structure called a mycelium. They reproduce both sexually and asexually. There are four major classifications of fungi: zygomycetes, ascomycetes, basidiomycetes, and deuteromycetes. Zygomycetes form zygospores during sexual reproduction while ascomycetes and basidiomycetes form ascospores and basidiospores, respectively. Deuteromycetes are imperfect fungi that only reproduce asexually through conidia. Fungi can also be classified morphologically as yeasts, molds, yeast-like fungi, or dimorphic fungi

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Shiksha singh Shiksha singh
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GENERAL

STRUCTURE AND
CLASSIFICATION
OF FUNGUS

SAKSHI SINGH
FUNGUS

GENERAL CHARACTER

 Fungus means=mushroom

 Study of fungus is known as = mycology.

 (mykes=mushroom; logos=study).

 They are cosmopolitan in distribution and occur in any habitat where life
is possible.

 Fungi consist branched and filament hyphae, which form a net like
structure, known as mycelium.

 The hyphae is aseptate or septate.


 The cells of fungi have definite cell wall mainly made up of
chitin. Chitin is a nitrogenous material containing
polysaccharide. Other components of the fungal cell wall may be
cellulose-glycogen, cellulose-glucan (found in oomycetes),
Cellulose-chitin, chitin-chitosan (found in zygomycetes), Chitin-
glucan (found in ascomycetes and basidiomycetes) etc.

 Fungi are eukaryotic and they do not have plastids. As fungi do


not have chlorophyll, they cannot perform photosynthesis. They
obtain their nourishment from the environment by extracellular
digestion and absorption of digested food material. So they are
known as heterotrophs.

 Fungi live as saprophytes on dead and decaying organic matter,


as parasites on/inside living organisms. Some fungi grow in
symbiotic relationship with algae and form lichens. Some of the
fungi grow in close association with the roots of the vascular
plants forming mycorrhizae.

 The reserve food material of the fungi is glycogen, fats or lipid


globules.
 Fungi reproduce vegetatively by fragmentation, budding and
fission.

 During favorable conditions, they reproduce asexually by spores.


The asexual spores are called sporangiospores and conidia. The
sporangiospores may be zoospores or aplanospores. Zoospores
are flagellated spores with one or two flagella. Aplanospores are
non-flagellated spores.

 Sexual reproduction in fungi is through gametes and is carried


out with the help of planogametic copulation, gametangial
contact, gametangial copulation, spermatization or somatogamy.

 Fungi show progressive reduction of sexuality


 Fungi exhibit asexual haplontic, haplontic-dikaryotic, haplo-
diplontic or diplontic life cycle.

 The cells of fungi have definite cell wall mainly made up of


chitin. Chitin is a nitrogenous material containing
polysaccharide. Other components of the fungal cell wall may be
cellulose-glycogen, cellulose-glucan (found in oomycetes),
Cellulose-chitin, chitin-chitosan (found in zygomycetes), Chitin-
glucan (found in ascomycetes and basidiomycetes) etc.

 Fungi are eukaryotic and they do not have plastids. As fungi do


not have chlorophyll, they cannot perform photosynthesis. They
obtain their nourishment from the environment by extracellular
digestion and absorption of digested food material. So they are
known as heterotrophs.

 Fungi live as saprophytes on dead and decaying organic matter,


as parasites on/inside living organisms. Some fungi grow in
symbiotic relationship with algae and form lichens. Some of the
fungi grow in close association with the roots of the vascular
plants forming mycorrhizae.
 The reserve food material of the fungi is glycogen, fats or lipid
globules.

 Fungi reproduce vegetatively by fragmentation, budding and


fission.
 During favorable conditions, they reproduce asexually by spores.
The asexual spores are called sporangiospores and conidia. The
sporangiospores may be zoospores or aplanospores. Zoospores
are flagellated spores with one or two flagella. Aplanospores are
non-flagellated spores.

 Sexual reproduction in fungi is through gametes and is carried


out with the help of planogametic copulation, gametangial
contact, gametangial copulation, spermatization or somatogamy.

 Fungi show progressive reduction of sexuality.

 Fungi exhibit asexual haplontic, haplontic-dikaryotic, haplo-


diplontic or diplontic life cycle.

CLASSIFICATION OF FUNGI

 SYSTEMATIC CLASSIFICATION
 MORPHOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION
SYSTEMATIC CLASSIFICATION

ZYGOMYCETES
 The group is named zygomycetes because a diploid resting spore called
the zygospore is formed during the life cycle.

 They are mostly saprophytic; some others are parasites on plants and
animals.

 The vegetative body is mycelium which is well developed, profusely


branched and coenocytic.

 The absence of motile sexual or asexual cells.

 The asexual reproduction takes place by sporangiospores, aplanospores or


by conidia.

 Sexual reproduction occurs by conjugation of gametangia resulting in the


formation of zygospore.

 Examples; Rhizopus, Mucor etc

ASCOMYCETES
 The species of ascomycetes are called the sac fungi because they produce
sexual pores within the sac-like viscus.
 General Characteristics

 Ascomycetes are mostly terrestrial occurring as saprophytes or parasites.

 They have well-developed, branched, septate mycelium except yeast.


Yeast is a unicellular fungus.

 Asexually they reproduce by non-motile spores, conidia, oidia or


chlamydospores.

 Sexual reproduction takes place by the fusion of gametangia of opposite


mating types.

 There is absence of motile cells.

 Examples, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Penicillium, Aspergillus etc.

BASIDIOMYCETES
 The members of basidiomycetes are saprophytic or parasitic. The group is
named basidiomycetes as they produce the basidiospores at the club-
shaped basidium during sexual reproduction.

 Mycelium is highly developed, profusely branched and septate.

 The mycelia are differentiated into two mating types; (+ve) and (-ve).

 There are two kinds of mycelium; primary mycelium and secondary


mycelium.

 Asexual reproduction takes place by fragmentation, budding, oidia,


conidia or chlamydospore.

 The dikaryotic cell is formed during sexual reproduction.

 The absence of motile cell throughout the life cycle.

 Basidiomycetes are the most advanced fungi as their fructifications are


often large and prominent.

 Examples; Mushrooms, Puccinia, Ustilago etc.


DEUTEROMYCETES (THE IMPERFECT
FUNGI)
 Deuteromycetes compromises more than 17000 species of the
diverse habits and habitats. It is considered as an artificial class of fungi.

 The fungi are saprophytes as well as parasites.Parasitic fungi cause


serious diseases to plants, animals including human beings.

 Some of them are unicellular while others are multicellular.

 They reproduce asexually by conidia along with some other types of


spores.

 The sexual reproduction is entirely absent.

 The asexual stage or imperfect stage in Deuteromycetes is well defined.


But the sexual or perfect stage is absent in life cycle, therefore, they are
called ‘Fungi Imperfecti’.

Example; Alternaria, Fusarium, Helminthosporium etc.

MORPHOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION

 YEASTS
 YEAST-LIKE FUNGI
 FILAMENTOUS FUNGI
 DIMORPHIC FUNGI

YEAST
 These occur in the form of round or oval bodies which reproduce by
an asexual process called building in which the cell develops a
protuberance which enlarge and eventually dseparates from the
parent cell.

 Yeast colonies resemble bacterial colonies in appearance and


consistency

 Ex. Saccharomyces cerevisiae


Molds or Filamentous Fungi

 The basic morphological element of filamentous fungi are long


branching Filamentous or hyphae, which intertwine of produce a mass
of filamentous or mycelium

 Colonies are strongly adherent to the medium and unlike most


bacterial colonies cannot be emulsified in water

 Reproduce by the formation of different type of spores

 Ex. Dermatophytes, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Mucor, Rhizopus


Yeast Like

 Yeast Like fungi grow Partly as yeast and partly as elongated cells
resembling hyphae. The latter from a pseudo mycelium.

 e.g. candida albicans

Dimorphic Fungi

 These are Fungi which exhibit a yeast from in the Host tissue and
in vitro at 37 degree on enriched media and mycelial from in Vitro
At 25degree C

Eg.
 Histoplasma Capsulatum
 Blastomyces Dermatitidis

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