31 Fungi

Question 1

What fundamentally distinguishes fungi form plants?

Answer 1

They are heterotrophs, unlike autotrophic photosynthesising plants

Question 2

What is the basic nutrition mode of fungi?

Answer 2

They are chemoheterotrophs that perform extracellular digestion

Question 3

What are cell walls of fungi made of?

Answer 3

Chitin

Question 4

What is chitin?

Answer 4

A nitrogen-containing polysaccharide that is found in the cell wall of fungi

Question 5

What is the basic structure of a multicellular fungus?

Answer 5

The are composed of networks of tiny filaments called hyphae.

Below ground these hyphae form a network called mycelium.

Hyphae cluster tightly together to form the reproductive structures i.e. the bits we see.

Question 6

What is the basic structure of hyphae?

Answer 6

Hyphae consist of tubular cell walls surrounding the plasma membrane and cytoplasm of the cells.

Question 7

What are hyphae?

Answer 7

The fine filaments that form the mycelium and reproductive structures

Question 8

What are unicellular fungi called?

Answer 8

Yeasts (its a general term)

Question 9

What are the structures of fungi composed of?

Answer 9

A network of hyphae

Question 10

What is mycelium?

Answer 10

A vast network of fine hyphae that exists underground to aid in the absorption of nutrients/

Question 11

What is fungus equivalent of plant roots?

Answer 11

Mycelium

Question 12

What is the underground network of fungal hyphae called?

Answer 12

Mycelium

Question 13

Why is mycelium important?

Answer 13

It maximises surface area for water intake and the absorption of nutrients decomposed by extracellular digestion.

Question 14

What are the basic forms of hyphae?

Answer 14

Septate hypha and coenocytic hypha

Question 15

In the context of fungi, what are ’septa’?

Answer 15

Walls that form between cells in some hyphae.

They have pores that can allow ribosomes, mitochondria and even nuclei to pass through

Question 16

What are septate hyphae?

Answer 16

Those in which there are clearly define ’septa’ (walls) between the individual cells

Question 17

What are coenocytic hyphae?

Answer 17

Those that have a continuous cytoplasmic mass having hundreds or thousands of nuclei without septa between them.

The coenocytic condition results from the repeated division of nuclei without cytokinesis.

Question 18

What are hyphae that associate with plants called?

Answer 18

Haustoria

Question 19

What are ‘haustoria’?

Answer 19

Fungal hyphae that interact with plants either by extracting nutrients from plants or exchange them as part of symbiosis

Question 20

What are symbiotic relationships between fungi and plants roots called?

Answer 20

Mycorrhizae

Question 21

What are mycorrhizae?

Answer 21

Symbiotic relationships between fungi and plant roots

Question 22

What are ‘mycorrhizal fungi’?

Answer 22

Fungi that form mycorrhizae and thus interact symbiotically with plant roots

Question 23

What are fungi that interact symbiotically with plant roots called?

Answer 23

Mycorrhizal fungi

Question 24

What are the mycorrhizal fungi that have hyphae that grow around plant roots but do not penetrate?

Answer 24

Ectomycorrhizal

Question 25

What are mycorrhizal fungi with hyphae that extend into plant roots called?

Answer 25

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Question 26

What are arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi?

Answer 26

Those with hyphae that extend into plant roots

Question 27

What are ectomycorrhizal fungi?

Answer 27

Those with hyphae that do not extend into the plant roots and instead wrap around.

Question 28

Are fungi reproduce sexually or asexually?

Answer 28

Most species can produce both ways. Some species are exclusively asexual, others are solely sexual.

Question 29

Are somatic fungal cells haploid or diploid?

Answer 29

Haploid