Glossary: Fungi (Terms are listed in the approximate order encountered in the lecture).

Lichen a vegetative body in which a fungus and one or more photosynthetic organisms live together in mutual dependency (mutualism). Cyanobacteria - A division of microorganisms (class Cyanophyceae, kingdom Eubacteria) that are related to the bacteria but are capable of photosynthesis. Nitrogen fixation A process by which nitrogen (N2) in the atmosphere is converted into ammonia (NH3). Atmospheric nitrogen or molecular nitrogen (N2) is relatively inert: it does not easily react with other chemicals to form new compounds. Fixation processes free up the nitrogen atoms from their diatomic form (N2) to be used in other ways. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_fixation Mycorrhiza - the symbiotic association of the mycelium of a fungus with the roots of a seed plant. http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/mycorrhiza Truffle - Any of various fleshy, ascomycetous, edible fungi, chiefly of the genus Tuber, that grow underground on or near the roots of trees and are valued as a delicacy. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Truffles Decomposer - An organism whose ecological function involves the recycling of nutrients by performing the natural process of

decomposition as it feeds on dead or decaying organisms. http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Decomposer Pathogens - An organism, often a bacterium or fungus that feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter, thus making organic
nutrients available to the ecosystem. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/decomposer

Mycelium - The vegetative part of a fungus, consisting of a mass of branching, threadlike hyphae. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mycelium Hyphae - A long, slender, usually branched filament of fungal mycelium. http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/hyphae Chitin - A long-chain polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, a derivative of glucose, and is found in many places throughout the natural world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitin Zygomycota - A phylum of fungi. Zygomycota are commonly thought of as bread molds. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zygomycota

Ascomycota - Known as sac fungi. This classification makes up more than 75% of fungi. It is a very general category to describe a
wide number of organisms (Saccharomyces cervisae (Bakers yeast), Morchella esculentum (Morel), and Penicillium chrysogenum (penicillin organism). http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Ascomycota

Basidiomycota - (club fungi) This group, which contains approximately 15,000 known species, is distinguished by the presence of a
club- shaped reproductive organ called the basidium. Includes mushrooms and toadstools. http://www.sparknotes.com/biology/microorganisms/fungi/section1.rhtml

Imperfect fungi - The term is now used only informally, to denote species of fungi that are asexually reproducing
members of the fungal phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungi_imperfecti Spores - Small, usually single-celled reproductive body that is highly resistant to desiccation and heat and is capable of growing into a new organism,
produced especially by certain bacteria, fungi, algae, and nonflowering plants. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Fungal+spore