Kinds of Fungus
Fungi digest nonliving organic matter, such as leaves, branches and dead animals. Along with protists and bacteria, they are the major decomposers of organic matter, according to Fungi Defined. Certain types of fungi have the ability to attack living things and cause disease, both human and agricultural. A defining characteristic of the fungi is their extracellular digestion.
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The Facts
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Fungi are multicellular organisms that are made up of cells joined by filaments. These filaments are called hypha (or hyphae), and they create an interwoven network or web called a mycelium (or mycelia). Fungi cells are unique because they have chitin molecules (a long chain polymer called a polysachharide that comes from glucose). In certain cases, the fungi's cell walls contain cellulose.
The fungi's unique physical characteristic that separates them from the other four biological kingdoms is their ability to secrete enzymes into their environment. This secretion allows them to break down organic matter and absorb certain nutrients through their cell membranes. This feature and process is referred to as extracellular digestion.
Fungi are typically divided into six types: oomycetes, zygomycetes, ascomycetes, basidiomycetes, deuteromycetes and fungal disease.
Oomycetes
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Oomycetes are an aquatic type of fungi. They are considered water mold and during sexual reproduction, oomycetes form clusters of egglike bodies at the tips of their hyphae. The nearby hyphae gear toward the bodies and fuse with them. This creates sexual spores (called oospores).
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Zygomycetes
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Zygomycetes are terrestrial fungi with hyphae that have no cross walls between cells, which are called coenocytic. They reproduce when opposite hyphae fuse and form spores called zygospores. A typical example of a zygomycete is bread mold.
Ascomycetes
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This kind of fungi range from unicellular yeasts to multicellular mildews . Their hyphae form a cup-shaped structure that is tightly packed. During reproduction, they create a sac, called ascus, when opposite hyphae fuse.
Basidiomycetes
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Basidiomycetes are known as club fungi, and common examples are mushrooms, puffballs and shelf fungi. Sexual reproduction occurs when the spores (called basiodiospores) form clublike structures called basidia. In this kind of fungi, the mycelium forms below ground, and when the hyphae is fused then the mushroom cap emerges.
Others
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Deuteromycetes lack a sexual reproduction cycle, and so are considered asexual. These include human pathogens such as athlete's foot. Fungal disease is another type of fungi that is considered dangerous to humans. This kind includes cryptococcus neoformans, which is a fungus that causes serious spinal cord and lung disease.
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