Characteristics: Eukaryotic: Members with a body consisting of hyphae which collectively constitute a mycelium. These are either saprophytic or parasitic and digest food extracellularly; no flagella; cell walls of chitin; predominately haploid with plasmogamy and karyogamy often separated in time resulting in the occurrence of a persistent dikaryotic stage.
The Zygomycetes is now considered to be a polyphyletic group and the cladistic organization of these fungi are being reconsidered. Hence we do not require that you know the phylum, Zygomycota.
Sexual stage is a zygosporangium; also, coencytic, no dikaryotic stage, plasmogamy and karyogamy not widely separated in time; thought to be the primitive division of the Fungi.
Recognize to genus
Know four types of hyphae and be able to recognize a zygosporangium and to interpret questions in light of your knowledge of the life cycle.
Recognize the various stages of zygosporangial development.
Sexual stage an ascus with ascospores; also hyphae cellular with incomplete septations, asexual reproduction often by conidia, plasmogamy and karyogamy separated in time resulting in a dikaryotic stage.
Recognize to genus
Blue mold; the source of penicillin, gives blue cheese its color, produces an abundance of conidia resulting in its blue color; be able to recognize conidia and conidiophores.
Recognize by common name:
Unicellular, cell division by budding, sexual stage an ascus, hence, included in the Ascomycota
Parasite on the leaves of plants. Reproduces vegetatively by conidia, which give infected leaves a powdery appearance, hence, the name. Asci contained in a completely closed ascoma called a cleistothecium. Recognize all structures relating to its life cycle seen in lab.
Recognize these genera by the Ascomata
Recognize microscopic views of hymenial layer, asci and ascospores of Morchella Return to the top
Sexual structure a basidium. Hyphae septated, but with perforations. Plasmogamy separated in time from karyogamy often with a persistent dikaryotic stage.
Recognize Fruiting bodies seen in lab to phylum, and kingdom.
Secnd group view of fruting bodies
Recognize a basidium and basidiospores when viewed through a microscope.
Recognize rusts and smuts as basidiomycetes
Lichens Lichens are a mutualistic relationship between a fungus (usually an ascomycete) and either (usually) a green alga, or a cyanobacterium.
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