Fungi

Sumit Bohara (BSB)

Institute of Medicine Master of public
Health)
 Study of fungi: Mycology or
Mycetology
Father or founder of mycology:
P.A. Mitcheli
Father of modern mycology: Anton
Introduction de Barry
Father of systematic mycology:
E.M. Fries
Term ‘fungus’ was given by:
Gasperd Bauhin
 Cosmopolitan
Achlorophyllous
Non-vascular
Non-seeded
Non-flowering
General
Characteristics Multicellular except yeast
(unicellular)
Eukaryotic
Heterotopic organism
Cell wall made up of chitin
(𝑪𝟐𝟐 𝑯𝟓𝟒 𝑵𝟒 𝑶𝟐𝟏 )𝒏
 Reserve food materials are glycogen or
fats
General Body of fungi is mycelium which is
Characteristics made up of number of thread like
structure called hyphae.
Sex organs are unicellular and non-
jacketed.
Hyphae
 1. Saprophytic
2. Parasitic
3. Symbiotic
Modes of  lichens (algae + fungi)
Nutrition  Mycorrhiza (a fungus which
grows in association with the
roots of higher plant)
 Vegetative:

fission, budding (saccharomyces) and

fragmentation (Most common)

Asexual:
Reproduction
By spore formation(Mitosis)

Sexual:

By spore formation (Meiosis).

Reproduction
Budding in
Yeast
Reproduction
concept in
Mushroom
 Haploid, single celled

Formed from mitosis (asexual)

and meiosis (meiosis)
Spores of
fungi Motile (zoospore) and non-
motile (aplanospore)

Endogenous and exogenous.

 3 main stages:
1. Plasmogamy:
results in dikaryon (n + n)
2. Karyogamy:
Sexual results in zygote
reproduction 3. Meiosis:
results in spore formation
Note: In some fungi, dikaryon stage is not
visible when karyogamy occurs just after
plasmogamy (phycomycetes)
 On the basis of mycelium
structure
On the basis of fruiting
Classification
of body
fungi On the basis of spore
formation
 Most primitive or simplest or lower
type of fungi.
Habitat: decayed wood, dead
substance, aquatic
Structure: Hyphae is aseptate and
Phycomycetes multinucleated structure called
coenocytic body.
Nutrition: saprophytic, parasitic,
symbiotic
Vegetative reproduction: by
fragmentation
 Class is further divided into
1. Oomycetes:
Mostly parasitic
Mycelium is aseptate and multinucleated
Asexual reproduction takes place by
Phycomycetes motile bi-flagellated zoospore.
Sexual reproduction takes place by
oogamous type that takes place by
gametangial contact and results in
formation of oospore (2n).
E.g. Phytothora, Albugo, Phythium, etc.
 Zygomycetes:
Mostly saprophytic
Hyphae is branched, aseptate and multinucleated
 Asexual reproduction takes place by non-motile
Phycomycetes spore within sporangium called sporangiospore.
 Sexual reproduction takes place by gametangial
copulation or gametangial
conjugation.(zygospore)
 E.g. Rhizopus, Mucor
 Habitat: grow on decaying organic
matter, dung
Structure: mycelium is branched and
septate (except yeast)
Ascomycetes Flagella structure are absent.
(Sac fungi) Vegetative reproduction by budding,
fission, fragmentation
Asexual reproduction by non-motile
spore conidia.
 Sexual reproduction by ascospore.
Asexual fruiting body is called
conidiophore ( gives exogenous
spore called conidia)
Ascomycetes Sexual fruiting body is called
(Sac fungi) ascocarp (endogenous spore called
ascospore).
Eg. Penicillium, Saccharomyces,
Claviceps, Neurospora, Aspergillus
 Habitat: on decaying substance (grow on
wood), some are parasitic form.
Hyphae is branched and septate.
Flagellar structure are absent.
Vegetative reproduction by
fragmentation.
Basidiomycetes
(Club fungi) Asexual reproduction absent.
Sexual reproduction by spore formation
i.e. basidiospores.
Sexual organs and gametes are absent.
E.g. Agaricus, Amanita, Puccinia, Ustilago
Sexual
Reproduction
Mushroom
Structure of
gill
 Mycelium is branched and septate
Flagellar structure are absent
Sexual reproduction totally absent
Deuteromycetes Vegetative reproduction by
(fungi fragmentation.
imperfecti)
Asexual reproduction by conidia.
Fruiting body are not found
E.g. Alternaria, Fusarium,
Trichophyton, Trichoderma
 1. Brewery: Yeast fermentation produces many
types of beverages i.e. wine, beer, alcohol, toddy,
etc.
Economic 2. Baking: In bread making, when yeast is added
importance of to flour, carbon dioxide will release which makes
bread soft.
yeast
3. Vitamins: Yeast is a source of vitamin B-
complex
 1. Source of antibiotic
 Penicillin: P. notatum, P. chrysogenum
 Ergotin: Claviceps purpurea
 Clavicin: Aspergillus clavatus
 Flavicin: A. fumigatus
 Campastrin: A. campestris
Economic 2. Production of organic acid
importance of
 Acetic acid
fungi
 Lactic acid
 Glycerol
 Oxalic acid (A. niger)
 Fumaric acid (Rhizophus stolonifera)
 Citric acid (A. niger)
 Gluconic acid
 3. Neurospora: It is the fungus having
importance in genetic research.

Contd… 4. Role in hormone production: Plant

growth hormone Gibberelin is obtained
from fungi (Gibberella fujikuroi)
 In plant
1. Early blight of potato (Alterneria)
2. Late blight of potato
Harmful (Phytophthora)
activities 3. Coffee rust / Leaf rust of coffee
(Fungal 4. Foolish disease/ Bakane disease of rice:
diseases) Gibberella fujikuroi (Fujarium monoliforme)
5. Disease produced by fungus Ustilago are
known as smuts(loose smut of wheat, loose
smut of barley, maize smut, smut of corn).
6. Disease caused by puccinia is rust,
black rust of wheat
7. Black wart disease of potato
(Synchytrium endobioticum)
8. Red root of sugarcane (Colletotricum
falcatum)
9. Red root of apple
10. Brown root of pear, plum, peach
(Sclerotina fruticola)
 1. Athletes foot/ ringworm of foot or
nails
2. Barber itch (Ringworm of beard)
3. Aspergillosis (lung disease):
Aspergillus fumigatus
Human 4. Otomycosis( ear disease)
diseases
5. Meningitis (Cryptococcus
neoformans)
6. Ergotism (Ergot of Claviceps
purpurea)
 1. Amantia
2. Alpha toxin is a toxic substance
Fungi as secreted by A. flavus.
poison 3. Hallucinogenic fungi (e.g. LSD is
obtained from Claviceps fungus)
  Rhizopus: Bread mould/pin mould
 Mucor: Dung mould/pin mould
 Penicillium: Blue or green mould
 Saccharomyces: Budding yeast or baking yeast or
brewer yeast
 Aspergillus: Black mould
Common name  Neurospora: Dorsophila of plant kingdom/ red
mould
of fungi  Claviceps purpura: Ergot fungi
 Agaricus: Mushroom/ gill fungi/ fairy ring
 Amantia: Poison cup or toad stools or death cup
 Ustiligo: Smut fungi
 Puccina: Rust fungi
 Albugo: White rust
 Plant body of fungi = mycelium
Mycelium is:
✓ thallus-like
Good to ✓ haploid(n)
Know ✓ made up of interwoven mass of thread
like hyaline hyphae
 Exception: yeast, slime moulds,
Synchytrium are unicellular
 Most of the fungi are moisture-loving
and terrestrial.
Exception: Monoblepharis and
Saprolegnia are aquatic and commonly
known as ‘water moulds’.
Good to
Know
For proper growth of fungi:
Temperature: 20-30 ˚C
pH = acidic (6.0)
 Nutrition in fungi: Absorptive type
Good to Absorptive structure is called as
haustoria.
Know
Digestion is extracellular (outside the
body).
 In ectomycorrhiza, fungus is:
basidiomycetes
In endomycorrhiza, fungus is:
zygomycetes
Good to
Know Lomasomes (border bodies): Globular
outgrowths of cell membrane which help
in cell wall synthesis.
 Fungi are Holocarpic or Eucarpic.
✓ Holocarpic: Whole body is involved in
reproduction.
Eg. Yeast, Synchytrium

Good to Know
✓ Eucarpic: Part of the body is involved
in reproduction.
Eg. in higher fungi
 Asexual reproduction in fungi
✓ By sporangiophore: Thin walled, non-
motile spores formed inside sporangium by
mitosis. Eg. Rhizophus, Mucor
Good to Know ✓ By zoospore formation: Uni-nucleated,
thin walled, motile spores formed inside
zoosporangium, especially by aquatic fungi.
✓ By Chlamydospore: Non-motile, thick
walled, single celled spores formed during
unfavourable condition.
 ✓ By conidia/ conidiospores: Thin
walled, non-motile, exogenously
produced spores formed at tip of special
hyphal structure called
Good to Know conidiophore/sterigmata. Eg.
Aspergillus, Penicillium

❖ Conidiophore in turn gives Sterigmata.

Rhizopus
White rust
of Crucifer
Early or late
blight of
potato
Smut of
Maize
Rust of fungi
(puccinia).
Thank You !!!