lesson 14 - fungi Flashcards
what are fungi?
living things that break down dead plants and animals to get food
what is the role of fungi in nature?
decompose dead things, help plants grow, we eat them, and they are used for medicine
how do fungi eat?
breakdown enzymes the release food outside their body and then absorb nutrients
what are fungi made of?
hyphae that form a network called mycelium
what are fungi cell walls made of?
chitin
how do fungi reproduce?
release spores that grow into new fungi
what is the fruiting part of fungi that we usually see?
the part that grows above ground, like a mushroom (reproductive phase)
what is the main fungal body?
mycelium
what produces spores?
the fruiting body?
how do fungi help plants?
some fungi form mycorrhizae, which help plant roots take in nutrients from the soil
what are lichens?
a mix of fungi and algae that live together and help each other
how do algae and fungi help each other?
algae makes food using sunlight, while fungi provide structure and habitat for algae
what is special about choanoflagellates?
organisms that are the closest relatives to animals
what is the fruiting body of Ascomycetes called?
ascocarp - part of the fungus that makes and releases spores
what are the tiny spores-producing sacs in Ascomycetes called?
asci - sac like structures that hold spores
what are some important roles of Ascomycetes?
decomposers, pathogens, food & medicine
what is the trophic phase of Ascomycetes?
they grow as haploid hyphae
what are examples of Basidiomycetes (mushroom family)
mushroom, shelf fungi, rusts, and puffballs
what do Basidiomycetes decompose?
wood
what is the fruiting body of Basidiomycetes?
puffball basidiocarp (dikaryotic stage)
how do puffballs spread their spores in Basidiomycetes?
when touched, stepped on, or hit by rain, the puffball bursts open, releasing a cloud of spores into the air.
what does dikaryotic mean?
two sets of DNA
what are choanoflagellates?
single-celled protists, closest relatives to animals
where do choanoflagellates live?
water
