Fungal infections Flashcards
Are fungi eukaryotic or prokaryotic?
Eukaryotic
Describe yeasts
Single celled
Budding organisms
With or without hyphae
what is a hyphae?
Long branching structure which is a non-sexual growth
How can you stain fungi?
Gram staining and Lactophenol blue staining
Describe moulds
Multicellular filamentous organisms
organised in hyphae that collectively form mycelium
contains fruiting structure
On what can you grow fungi?
Sabouraud’s agar
What are mycelium?
Thread-like collection of hyphae
How to yeasts reproduce?
Via asexual reproduction, budding
How do moulds reproduce?
Spore grows into mycelium which makes a sheet. Hyphae make frutin that make spores.
How does Candida albacans reproduce?
Daughter cells bud from the elongated hyphal structure
A less common type of fungal reproduction
Formation of pseudohyphae that occur from the mother cells and allow the filaments to stretch to the surrounding environment
How to fungi obtain nutrients?
Release enzymes from the hyphae. These are secreted into the environment and break down the substrates. The broken down substrates dissolve back into the hyphal tips.
What is the fungal niche for yeasts?
They live endogenously in the GI tract and skin and exogenously on fruits, plants and water
What is the fungal niche for moulds?
They are ubiquotous in the environment. Can live as parasites or in soil (saprophytic).
What protects us from fungal infections?
Temperature
Endogenous yeasts
Immune system
