MORPHOLOGY, LIFE

CYCLE AND ECONOMIC

IMPORTANCE OF FUNGI
OYINLOYE, J.M. ADEDEJI
ACHIEVERS UNIVERSITY, OWO
COLLEGE OF NATURAL AND APPLIED
SCIENCES
Brief Historical Account

 Gleditsch, a German botanist attempted a

short classification of fungi in 1753
 Fontana, an Italian scientist worked on
rust of cereals caused by fungi in 1767
 In the 19th century, De Bary (1831-88)
worked on the physiological and
biological nature of fungi and published
his new classification scheme in 1884. He
also discovered the lichens.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION

 Fungi (sing. Fungus) originated from a Greek

word fungos – mushroom. They are a group
of thallophytes lacking in chlorophyll.
 Majority of the fungi are usually unicellular
or colonial but a few complex forms such as
mushroom and puffballs have a limited
form of cellular specialisation.


PUFFBALL

 Fly Agaric Mushroom

The brightly colored fly agaric mushroom is a deadly poisonous mushroom. Containing
ibotenic acid and a number of other organic poisons, the fly agaric can cause severe
damage to the central nervous system, blood vessels, kidneys, liver, and muscles.
Symptoms, which may not become apparent for 8 to 12 hours or longer, include nausea,
vomiting, and severe diarrhea and can lead to coma and death.
The kingdom is filled with over 100,000 spps
which can be generally divided into 2;
1.Macroscopic fungi (mushrooms, puffballs
and gill fungi)
2.Microscopic fungi (molds and yeast)
Cells of the microscopic form exist in two
forms; yeast and hyphae.
Yeast: it is differentiated by its round-oval
shape and by its mode of asexual
reproduction; mainly budding. Some produce
pseudohypha (chains of yeast cells when
buds still remain attached to the mother cell).
Hyphae: these are long, threadlike cells found
in the body of filamentous fungi/molds.

While some fungi exist as yeast, others are

hyphae, but some are dimorphic (either)
depending on enviromental factors e.g.
pathogenic molds.
Dimorphism in C albicans. DYC, Daughter yeast cell; GT, germ tube; H,
hypha; Ph, pseudohypha; YMC, yeast mother cell. (X8,980)
 CLASSIFICATION OF FUNGI
PHYLUM(COMMON NAME) EXAMPLE(S)

Ascomycota (sac fungi) Neurospora, Morchella,

Ergot
Basidiomycota (club fungi) Agaricus, Amanita,
Cortinarius

Chytridiomycota (chytrids) Allomyces, Chytridium

Deuteromycota (fungi imperfecti) Arthrobotrys,

Aspergillus

Zygomycota (Terrestrial fungi) Rhizopus, Pilobolus.

NUTRITION
All fungi are heterotrophic i.e. they acquire
nutrients from a wide variety of organic
materials.
Most are saprobes i.e. they feed on remnants of
dead plants and animals in soils or aquatic
habitats.
They can also be parasites on bodies of living
animals and plants though a few are obligately
dependent on living host.
Their feeding method is by extracellular
digestion i.e. they penetrate the substrate
and secrete enzymes to reduce it to small
molecules that can be easily absorbed. They
produce many enzymes that can degrade
substances like hair, nail, feathers, cellulose,
petroleum products, wood, rubber etc.
The diseases they cause on living hosts are
tagged MYCOSES. They produce toxins
which are harmful to man, and spores which
can elicit allergies or other respiratory
diseases.
MICROSCOPIC FUNGI

Colonies of yeast are similar with that of

bacteria (soft, uniform texture & in
appearance)
Colonies of filamentous fungi/molds have some
cottony, hairy or velvety textures.

The woven intertwining mass of hyphae is

called MYCELIUM.
In most fungi, the hyphae are divided into
segments by cross walls called SEPTA, a
condition known as septate. The septa can
either be complete crossing or partial with a
small pore which allows for inter-
compartmental exchange of nutrients and
organelles.
Non-septate hyphae contain no cross walls,
thus, are long, continous tube.
Hyphae can be classified into vegetative; the
visible mass growth on substrates, which in
time gives rise to the reproductive hyphae
that produces the reproductive bodies
called SPORES.
REPRODUCTION
Propagation can be by simple outward
growth already existing hypha or by
fragmentation, in which fragmented
segment grows into a new colony.
Propagation is also possible by special
bodies called SCLEROTIA – a compact,
hard rounded mass of hyphae.
The primary means of reproduction is by
SPORE production.
The compactness and light weight of spores
make its dissemination easy by air, water
and living things.
The fungal spore is different from bacteria
spore in that it is used for multiplication,
dissemination, production of genetic
variation and survival.
Because of the diversity of spore production,
the spore and its bearing/forming structure
can be used for classification and
identification.
Fungi may reproduce sexually or asexually.
Spores may be either sexual or asexual in
origin. Sexual spores include ascospores,
basidiospores, oospores and zygospores,
which are used to determine phylogenetic
relationships. Sexual reproduction occurs by
the fusion of two haploid nuclei (karyogamy),
followed by meiotic division of the diploid
nucleus. Asexual spores are produced in sac-
like cells called sporangia and are called
sporangiospores. Asexual reproduction results
from division of nuclei by mitosis.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
They cause superficial and systemic
infections in humans.
They produce some chemicals capable of
causing allergies or neurological
disturbance or even death.
They are pathogenic to field plants and
harvested produce.
They decompose organic matter, returning
essential nutrients into the soil.
They form association with plant roots
helping in the absorption of water and
nutrients – the mycorrhizae.
They are a source of antibiotic, alcohol,
organic acids and vitamins production in
Industries.
The yeast (Saccharomyces) produces
alcohol in beer and wine and also the gas
that makes bread dough rise.