Biology-Mr.Willets
Fungi
The fungi are in their own kingdom- the Fungus Kingdom (clever name). They originally were put into the Plant Kingdom even though they were heterotrophic. Although many fungi look more like plants than animals, they store food as glycogen (like animals) not starch (like plants) and the cell walls have chitin in them. Chitin is found in lobster shells.
1) Fungi are Heterotrophic- mostly saprophytes (cause decay)- some are parasites - and a few are predators (these guys are neat). They do not "eat" food but rather release enzymes which digest it and then they absorb what they need. They live on their food as they digest it. The parts they don't absorb remain in the soil to be used by plants.
2) The basic fungus body is made of filaments that interweave to form a large mass. The individual filaments are called hyphae. The large mass is called a mycelium. The largest organism in the world is a fungi whose mycelium extends underground over many square miles.
3) Most forms have some method of sexual reproduction and all can reproduce asexually by forming spores. Many people are allergic to mold spores. The green powder seen on a moldy orange is actually the spores of the mold. The black dots of bread mold are the places where the spores are made.
The spore producing part of a fungus often grows upwards from the mycelium in order to get the spores into the air. This is the part of the fungus that we usually notice. For example, the part of the mushroom you see is the spore producing part. The rest of the mushroom (the mycelium) lives underground where the dead material (its food) is.
4) The various phyla of fungi are based on the types of filaments they have and how they form the spores.
5) Human parasitic fungi include ringworm (which is NOT a worm) and athlete's foot
6) Plant parasitic fungi include- wheat rust, potato blight, Dutch Elm disease
7) Most fungi help decompose dead material and recycle the materials of life.
8) Some molds produce antibiotics like penicillin.
9) Some fungi are used as food- mushrooms Some are used to make foods: yeast for bread-making and alcohol production and various molds used in cheese-making.
10) Fungi can decompose materials even if we don't wish them to do so- the wood in our homes, our clothes, food- if fungus spores land where there is food and moisture, they will grow and cause the material to decompose.
11) To prevent fungus growth- a) keep spores away (cover food, paint/stain wood)) b) kill spores (Lysol etc) c) keep materials dry (paint, stain etc) d) chemically prevent spore growth (fungicide- pressure treated wood)
12) Fungi include- mold, mildew, rust, blight, puffballs, mushrooms, toadstools, smuts et al.
Biology- Mr. Willets
Fungi Questions
1) Many fungi were hard to classify because although they look like _______________________ they do not ____________________
2) Fungi store food in what form? ___________________ This is the way that _________________ store food.
3) Fungi cells have a cell _______________ like plants but it is made of _______________ which is found in some animals.
4) Do fungi have a digestive system where the food goes to be digested? _________ How do they digest their food? _______________________________________________________________________
5) The body of a fungus is a mass of filaments (threads). Individual filaments are called _____________. The whole mass of filaments is called the _________________________
6) Most of the time, the part of the fungus you see is the part that makes ___________________ This parts grows up into the air (which is why you see it) so that the ________________ can better spread out into the world.
7) Besides using spores to reproduce, most fungi have some form of __________________ reproduction. This provides a method of genetic ______________________ which allows the fungi to evolve faster.
8) Fungi are helpful to us in several ways- a) some make ________________________ which we use as medicines. b) Some, like mushrooms, we can _______________ c) some help us to make certain ____________________. Give an example of this _____________________________________
9) The most important thing fungi do for us is to cause _________________. This means that they
________________ the materials needed for life. Fungi that do this are called ___________________
or __________________________
10) Mildew might grow on a towel thrown in the trunk of your car after swimming. It probably won't grow on a towel on the towel rack. Why? _____________________________________________________
11) Give some examples of types of fungi- _______________________________________________
12) If you have ever kicked a puffball, a powder comes out. What do you think this powder is? ___________
13) The chemical they put into pressure treated wood is a ______________________ This word means
_______________________
14) What do we often spray in our house to kill fungus spores? ____________________
15) What two human diseases are caused by fungi? _______________________________________
16) A fungus called the potato blight affected the USA in what way? (not in the reading, think about it)
______________________________________________________________
17) Painting or staining our homes prevents fungal growth two ways- it does not allow the ____________ to actual come in contact with the wood and b) it keeps the wood ___________.
18) Why do we build our homes on cement or stone foundations and not put the wood directly on the ground?
(once again, think about it) _________________________________________________________