Instructor’s
Fungi
Editors:
Brian A. Jerome Ph.D.
Stephanie Zak Jerome
BIOLOGY
Manual
Assistant Editors:
Louise Marrier
Lyndsey Canfield
Heidi Berry
Graphics: Fred Thodal
Dean Ladago
Visual Learning Company
1-800-453-8481
www.visuallearningco.com
Fungi
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Fungi
Use of Materials . . .
Use and Copyright:
The purchase of this video program entitles the user the right to reproduce
or duplicate, in whole or in part, this instructor’s manual and the black line
master handouts for the purpose of teaching in conjunction with this video,
Fungi. The right is restricted only for use with this video program. Any
reproduction or duplication, in whole or in part, of this manual and student
masters for any purpose other than for use with this video program is
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Copyright © 2012
ISBN 9781592345953
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Fungi
Table of Contents
A Message from our Company .............................
2
Viewing Clearances ..............................................
2
Use and Copyright ................................................ 3
Student Learning Objectives ...............................
5
Assessment .........................................................
6
Introducing the Program ......................................
7
Program Viewing Suggestions .............................. 7
Video Script ..........................................................
8
Answer Key to Student Assessments ................... 13
Answer Key to Student Activities .......................... 14
Preliminary Assessment .......................................
15
Post Assessement ................................................
17
Video Review ........................................................
19
Fungi Vocabulary ..................................................
20
Fungi vs. Plants ....................................................
21
Fungi Diversity ......................................................
22
Mushroom Anatomy .............................................
24
Lichens .................................................................
25
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Fungi
Student Learning Objectives
Upon viewing the video and completing the enclosed activities, students will be able
to do the following:
• Describe several fundamental differences between plants and fungi.
• List some of the major characteristics common to most fungi.
• Understand there are over 70,000 different kinds of fungi that come in many different sizes and forms.
• Explain the role of hyphae and mycelia found in some fungi.
• Describe how fungi meet their nutritional needs through absorption.
• Differentiate between the following forms of asexual reproduction in fungi: budding, regeneration, and spore production.
• Understand that some fungi are also capable of reproducing sexually when plus and minus hyphae fuse.
• Cite some of the general characteristics of common molds.
• Identify the three principle kinds of hyphae: rhizoids, stolons, and sporangia. State the function of each.
• Describe some of the general characteristics of sac fungi.
• List some of the economic uses of sac fungi.
• Explain some of the key characteristics of club fungi.
• Understand how sexual reproduction occurs in club fungi and the major structures involved in this process.
• State some of the general characteristics of imperfect fungi.
• Describe how lichens consist of a symbiotic relationship between an alga or blue-
green bacterium, and a fungus.
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Fungi
Assessment
Preliminary Assessment (p. 15-16):
The Preliminary Assessment is an assessment tool designed to gain an
understanding of students’ preexisting knowledge. It can also be used as a
benchmark upon which to assess student progress based on the objectives
stated on the previous pages.
Post Assessment (p. 17-18):
The Post Assessment can be utilized as an assessment tool following student
completion of the program and student activities. The results of the Post
Assessment can be compared against the results of the Preliminary Assessment
to assess student progress.
Video Review (p. 19):
The Video Review can be used as an assessment tool or as a student activity.
There are two sections. The first part contains questions displayed during the
program. The second part consists of a ten-question video assessment to be
answered at the end of the video.
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Fungi
Introducing the Program
Before showing the video hold up a package of yeast in front of the class. Open it up and
show the contents to your students. Explain that these tiny yeast grains are actually living
organisms. Next, show students an image of a mushroom. Have them describe it. Explain
that it’s also a living thing. Ask students what the yeast and mushroom have in common.
Tell students that both these organisms are fungi. Write the term “fungi” on the board.
Ask students to describe some examples of fungi they may have noticed while walking in a
forest or observed around their homes. Write their descriptions on the board. Have them
describe the physical appearance of the fungi. Also, ask them to describe where the fungi
were growing.
Next, ask students the following question: “What makes a fungus a fungus?” Encourage
them to consider all the fungi they have described. What features did they share? Urge
them to consider their physical appearance, and where they live. Tell students to pay close
attention to the video to learn more about the characteristics of fungi. Following the video
discuss some of the general characteristics of fungi. Also discuss some of the diverse
groups of fungi.
Program Viewing Suggestions
The student master “Video Review” (p. 19) is provided for distribution to students. You may
choose to have your students complete this master while viewing the program or do so upon
its conclusion.
The program is approximately 20 minutes in length and includes a ten-question video
assessment. Answers are not provided to the Video Assessment in the video, but are
included in this manual on page 13. You may choose to grade student assessments as an
assessment tool or to review the answers in class.
The video is content-rich with numerous vocabulary words. For this reason you may want to
periodically stop the video to review and discuss new terminology and concepts.
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Fungi
Video Script: Fungi
1. Have you ever taken a walk in the woods and seen organisms like these,…
2. … or noticed shelf-like things growing on the sides of dead trees.
3. These are easy to see examples of organisms in the kingdom fungi.
4. So, what exactly are fungi?
5. How do they obtain their food?
6. How do they reproduce?
7. And, what are some of the different groups of fungi?
8. During the next few minutes we’re going to explore these questions and others, as we investigate the fascinating features of fungi.
9. Graphic Transition – Characteristics of Fungi
10. You Compare! Describe an obvious difference between this plant and this fungus.
11. One obvious difference is that the plant is green, and the fungus is white.
12. A fundamental feature of fungi is that they’re non-green organisms.
13. Fungi do not contain chlorophyll, and they don’t carry out photosynthesis.
14. Instead of producing their own food, fungi absorb the nutrients they need from the environment, and therefore are heterotrophic.
15. We’ll discuss more about fungi nutrition in a few minutes.
16. Fungi are also different from plants in that their cell walls are made of a material called chitin, the same material found in your fingernails.
17. Plant cell walls are made of cellulose.
18. There are over 70,000 different species of fungi and it’s likely there are hundreds of thousands of species yet to be identified.
19. Fungi come in many different forms and sizes, ranging from small unicellular forms, to large multicellular structures.
20. Unicellular fungi such as yeasts possess a cell wall, a cell membrane, a nucleus, and other cell organelles.
21. Larger fungi such as those that produce mushrooms have bodies made up of threadlike filaments called hyphae.
22. As hyphae grow they develop branches forming a tangled network called a mycelium.
23. Hyphae tubules are filled with cytoplasm and nuclei. Some are divided into segments by walls called septa.
24. Hyphae are fast growing. In fact, some species of fungi can produce 35 to 40 meters of hyphae in just one hour!
25. Graphic Transition – Fungi Nutrition and Growth
26. All fungi are heterotrophs meaning they obtain the nutrients they need from other living or once-living organisms.
27. You Decide! Where do you think this fungus obtains its needed nutrients?
28. This fungus gets the nutrients it needs from this dead tree.
29. Fungi obtain food not by eating it, but by absorbing it. But how does this actually happen?
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Fungi
Video Script: Fungi
30. Fungi have evolved a way to produce enzymes in their hyphae that they secrete directly into the environment, most commonly on the nutrients they need to absorb.
31. The enzymes break down organic molecules into a form that can be readily absorbed into their body structure.
32. Much of the nutrient intake of fungi is channeled toward growth.
33. Many fungi can grow very rapidly. Some can grow many times their size overnight!
34. Growth in hyphae occurs at the tips.
35. The hyphae grow longer, while remaining relatively narrow.
36. Graphic Transition – Fungi Reproduction
37. Fungi are traditionally classified into one of four phyla based on various characteristics, including method of reproduction. All four phyla of fungi can reproduce asexually. Asexual reproduction can occur in several different ways.
38. In the asexual process of budding, a parent cell divides and forms a small bud that breaks off from the parent.
39. The broken off bud is capable of giving rise to a new individual.
40. In regeneration, another form of asexual reproduction, a piece of mycelium breaks off from a fungus and forms a new individual.
41. The third form of fungi asexual reproduction involves spore production.
42. Spores are reproductive cells produced in a fruiting body.
43. Fruiting bodies are what some people call a mushroom. They are the aboveground stalks that support spore-producing structures.
44. The spores can readily develop into a new organism or remain dormant for quite some time.
45. Fungi tend to produce spores in large numbers. For example, a single mushroom can produce over 16 billion spores!
46. Three of the four fungi phyla also have the ability to reproduce sexually.
47. As you know sexual reproduction generally involves the fusing of male sperm with a female egg.
48. But, in fungi there are amazingly no males or females.
49. Instead, fungi possess two different mating types of hyphae. These are simply referred to as plus and minus.
50. In the process of sexual reproduction a plus and a minus fuse, resulting in the production of spores.
51. Graphic Transition – Common Molds
52. You Observe! Describe the appearance of this bread.
53. The bread is covered with a layer of fuzzy material.
54. This fuzzy material is a mold that most likely belongs to a group of fungi referred to as common mold, in the phylum Zygomycota.
55. They’re frequently found in soil or on dead plants and animals.
56. The common bread mold, Rhizopus is a typical member of this group. It grows as a cotton-like mass of filaments on bread and fruit.
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Fungi
Video Script: Fungi
57. These organisms generally lack septa, which are the walls that divide a hypha into segments.
58. The white or gray mycelium consists of several kinds of hyphae.
59. The three principle kinds of hyphae are rhizoids, stolons, and sporangia.
60. Rhizoids are structures that absorb nutrients and anchor the organism to its food source.
61. Stolons connect groups of rhizoids to each other. They also transport nutrients and other materials throughout the fungus.
62. Another type of hyphae, sporangia, are structures that produce spores. The sporangia are capable of producing haploid spores during asexual reproduction.
63. Fungi in the phylum Zygomycota are also capable of reproducing sexually.
64. Graphic Transition – Sac Fungi
65. The sac fungi, in the phylum Ascomycota, are the largest group of fungi, numbering over 60,000 species.
66. They include powdery mildews, unicellular yeasts, cup fungi, morels, and truffles.
67. A characteristic common to these fungi is the presence of saclike structures called asci that are present during the process of sexual reproduction.
68. In most cases sac fungi reproduce asexually by releasing haploid spores.
69. Unicellular forms such as yeasts reproduce via cell division or by budding.
70. When sexual reproduction occurs in sac fungi, two mating types fuse to form a cell called an ascogonium.
71. The growing ascogonium generate hyphae that form an ascus at the end.
72. The nuclei in asci go through multiple changes that eventually result in the formation of spores.
73. It is these spores that grow into new organisms.
74. Several different types of sac fungi are economically valuable. Yeast is one.
75. You Decide! What do you eat nearly everyday in which yeast is an ingredient?
76. Bread. Yeast is an important ingredient in bread. Through a series of reactions it helps bread dough rise before baking.
77. Graphic Transition – Club Fungi
78. Believe it or not, whenever you eat mushrooms you’re eating fungi.
79. Mushrooms are in a group of fungi commonly referred to as club fungi.
80. Club fungi, in the phylum Basidiomycota, include most of the fungi you see while walking through fields or in the forest.
81. Like mushrooms, toadstools, puffballs, basket fungi, and rusts.
82. In the process of sexual reproduction club fungi produce spores, specifically called basidiospores.
83. Basidiospores develop in a club-shaped structure called the basidium located at the end of a specialized hypha.
84. Some club fungi are capable of producing spores asexually.
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Fungi
Video Script: Fungi
85. Mushrooms are the most familiar club fungi.
86. The structure we refer to as the mushroom is actually the fruiting spore – producing part of the fungi.
87. The other part of the organism grows beneath the surface of the ground as the hyphae.
88. It lives on the remains of dead plants and animals, sometimes for years,…
89. … before growing above the surface when conditions are favorable.
90. A mushroom generally consists of a stalk and a cap.
91. The undersurface of the cap contains many, slit-like structures called gills.
92. Each gill is made of hyphae that are pressed closely together. Basidia, containing basidiospores are located on the gills.
93. In some cases, a single mushroom is capable of producing over one billion spores!
94. While many types of mushrooms are edible,…
95. … some can be extremely poisonous.
96. It’s a good policy to not eat mushrooms you find in the wild.
97. Graphic Transition – The Imperfect Fungi
98. Fungi commonly called imperfect fungi, in the phylum Deuteromycota, are believed to only reproduce jasexually.
99. An apparent lack of sexual stages makes these fungi difficult to study and classify. They’re therefore referred to as imperfect fungi.
100. There are many species of imperfect fungi.
101. Some are responsible for causing problems such as irritating, itchy athlete’s foot.
102. Ringworm is another problem caused by imperfect fungi.
103. But, not all species of imperfect fungi are harmful. For example, the fungi Penicillium is used to produce the antibiotic penicillin.
104. This antibiotic has undoubtedly saved millions of lives.
105. Graphic Transition - Lichens
106. Perhaps while hiking you’ve noticed a colorful pattern on rocks,…
107. … or maybe you’ve seen this pattern on trees, buildings, or statues.
108. This interesting pattern is formed by a living organism, or actually two organisms
– an alga or blue-green bacterium and a fungus living together in a symbiotic relationship.
109. In this mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship the alga or bacterium carries out photosynthesis, and provides nutrients for the fungus.
110. The fungus in return provides the alga or bacterium with water, certain elements, and protection from the elements.
111. These are called lichens. There are many species of lichens that take a variety of forms.
112. Lichens are abundant in the arctic where they serve as a food source for caribou, musk ox, and other animals.
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Fungi
Video Script: Fungi
113. Lichens can survive for months without water.
114. They’ re often the first organisms to live on bare rocks,…
115. … and play a key role in breaking down the rock, beginning the process of soil formation.
116. Graphic Transition - Video Review
117. During the past few minutes we explored many of the interesting aspects of fungi.
118. We began by investigating some of the general characteristics common to most fungi.
119. We examined how fungi take in nutrients and grow.
120. Next, we took a look at the process of asexual and sexual reproduction.
121. Last, we explored some of the main characteristics of the four phyla of fungi.
122. This rounded out our exploration of the fascinating features of fungi.
123. Graphic Transition – Video Quiz
Fill in the correct word to complete the sentence.
1. Fungi are different from plants in that they don’t carry out _____.
2. Fungi _____ the nutrients they need.
3. Larger fungi are made up of thread-like filaments called ____.
4. ____ secreted by hyphae help break down organic molecules.
5. Budding is a type of ____ reproduction in fungi.
6. ____ are reproductive cells produced by the fungi fruiting body.
7. The fuzzy layer of fungus often found on old bread is an example of a ____.
8. ____ is an example of sac fungi used in making bread.
9. The above ground mushroom is the fruiting ____ portion of the organism.
10. Lichens consist of two organisms, an alga or blue-green bacteria and a ____.
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Fungi
Answer Key to Student Assessments
Preliminary Assessment (p. 15-16)
Post Assessment (p. 17-18)
1. c - chlorophyll
2. b - heterotrophic
3. a - non-green
4. d - hyphae
5. c - over 70,000
6. a - asexual reproduction
7. d - plus and minus
8. b - produce spores
9. c - yeast
10. a - fungus
11. b - chitin
12. c - via photosynthesis
13. c - on the gills
14. c - Ascomycota
15. a - spores
16. Fungi are non-green heterotrophic organisms
that do not possess chloroplasts and don’t carry out
photosynthesis.
17. Fungi are heterotrophic organisms that obtain
their food by living off living or once-living things.
They release enzymes that break down organic
molecules that are then absorbed by the fungus.
18. In budding a parent cell divides and forms
a small bud that breaks off from the parent. In
regeneration a piece of mycelium breaks off and
forms a new individual. In spore reproduction the
spores develop into new organisms.
19. Rhizoids absorb nutrients and anchor the
organism to its food source. Stolons transport
nutrients and connect a group of rhizoids to each
other. Sporangia are structures that produce
spores.
20. Lichens consist of two organisms living
symbiotically, an alga or bue-green bacterium, and a
fungus.
1. d - hyphae
2. b - chitin
3. c - Ascomycota
4. d - plus and minus
5. b - heterotrophic
6. c - via photosynthesis
7. a - non-green
8. a - asexual reproduction
9. a - chlorophyll
10. c - over 70,000
11. b - produce spores
12. a - spores
13. c - yeast
14. c - on the gills
15. a - fungus
16. In budding a parent cell divides and forms
a small bud that breaks off from the parent. In
regeneration a piece of mycelium breaks off and
forms a new individual. In spore reproduction the
spores develop into new organisms.
17. Lichens consist of two organisms living
symbiotically, an alga or bue-green bacterium, and a
fungus.
18. Fungi are heterotrophic organisms that obtain
their food by living off living or once-living things.
They release enzymes that break down organic
molecules that are then absorbed by the fungus.
19. Fungi are non-green heterotrophic organisms
that do not possess chloroplasts and don’t carry out
photosynthesis.
20. Rhizoids absorb nutrients and anchor the
organism to its food source. Stolons transport
nutrients and connect a group of rhizoids to each
other. Sporangia are structures that produce
spores.
Video Review (p. 19)
Vocabulary (p. 20)
1. The plant is green and the fungus is white.
2. This fungus gets the nutrients it needs from this dead tree.
3. The bread is covered with a layer of fuzzy material.
4. Bread. Yeast is an important ingredient in bread.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Video Assessment (p. 19)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
13
photosynthesis
absorb
hyphae
enzymes
asexual
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
spores
mold
yeast
spore-producing
fungus
d - fungus
g - hyphae
l - mycelium
a - budding
k - regeneration
e - spores
m - sexual reproduction
b - rhizoids
h - stolons
j - sporangia
f - zygomycota
c - ascomycota
o - basidiomycota
n - deuteromycota
i - lichens
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Answer Key to Student Activities
Fungi vs Plants (p. 21)
Form
Cell Structure
Nutrition
Reproduction
Diversity
Fungi
generally small and low-lying;
non-green; consist of hyphae;
network of mycelium
cell walls contain chitin
heterotrophic; absorb nutrients
of once-living things
reproduce asexually via
budding, regeneration, or spore
production; also can reproduce
sexually
over 70,000 species
Plants
green; range from small to huge
cell walls contain cellulose; cells
also contain chloroplasts
most often autotrophic;
photosynthetic
some are capable of reproducing
asexually; some are capable
of reproducing sexually with or
without flowers.
over 300,000 species
Fungi Diversity (p. 22-23)
1. a - common mold; b - bread mold; c - over 1,000 species; d - can reproduce sexually or asexually; e - forms a cotton-like mass on bread and fruit.
2. a - sac fungi; b - powdery mildews, yeasts, cup fungi, morels, and truffles; c - over 64,000 species;
d - reproduce asexually or sexually; in sexual reproduction the mating cells fuse to form a cell called an ascogonium that produce spores; e - possess a sac-like structure called an asci that is present during sexual reproduction.
3. a - club fungi; b - mushrooms, toadstools, puffballs, basket fungi, and rusts; c - over 30,000 species;
d - capable of reproducing asexually and sexually; in sexual reproduction basidiospores develop in a club-
shaped basidium; e - fungi we most often recognize
4. a - imperfect fungi; b - ringworm ; c - over 25,000 species; d - believed to reproduce only asexually;
e - produce spores asexually
Mushroom Anatomy (p. 24)
1. cap - contains and protects gills
2. gills - contain basidia that produce basidiospores
3. stalk - supports the cap and gills
Lichens (p. 25)
1. Lichens are two separate organisms, a green-blue alga or cyanobacterium, and a fungus living together in a symbiotic relationship.
2. In the mutualistic relationship the algal cells benefit from a substrate in which they are protected by the fungus. The photosynthetic alga or bacterium produces energy for itself and the fungus. The fungus benefits from the food produced by the photosynthetic organism.
3. Lichens can survive in extreme environments because they are poikilohydric. Lichens have the ability to enter a state of metabolic suspension in which they are so dehydrated that almost all biochemical activity stops.
4. Because lichens lack roots their primary source of most elements is the air. For this reason elemental levels in lichens often reflect air composition, making them reliable biomonitors of air quality.
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Preliminary Assessment
Name:
Directions: Circle the best answer for each of the following questions.
1. Fungi do not carry out photosynthesis and do not contain:
a. hyphae
b. cells
c. chlorophyll
d. mycelium
9. Which of the following fungi help bread dough rise before baking?
a. mushrooms
b. truffles
c. yeast
d. morels
2. Fungi absorb nutrients they need and are:
a. photosynthetic
b. heterotrophic
c. chemosynthetic
d. non-white
10. Lichens consist of two organisms living together symbiotically, an alga or blue-green bacterium, and what?
a. fungus
b. bacterium
c. protozoan
d. protist
3. While plants are green, fungi tend to be:
a. non-green
b. purple
c. non-white
d. non-living
4. Larger fungi have bodies made of thread-like filaments called:
a. spindles
b. cilia
c. flagella
d. hyphae
11. The cell walls of fungi are made of a material called:
a. cellulose
b. chitin
c. iron
d. fibrinogen
12. Which of the following ways does not describe how fungi obtain energy:
a. absorption
b. heterotrophically
c. via photosynthesis
5. Approximately how many species of fungi have been d. enzymes breaking down organic molecules
classified? a. 200
13. Where in a mushroom are basidia located?
b. 8
a. on the stalk
c. over 70,000
b. on the cap
d. one million
c. on the gills
d. in the stalk
6. Fungi can reproduce via budding and regeneration. These are forms of:
14. Which phylum includes the greatest diversity of fungi:
a. asexual reproduction
a. Zygomycota
b. sexual reproduction
b. Deuteromycota
c. binary fission
c. Ascomycota
d. pollination
d. Basidiomycota
7. In fungi sexual reproduction, the two different mating types of hyphae are referred to as:
a. male and female
b. sperm and egg
c. pollen grains
d. plus and minus
8. Sporangia are hyphae that play a key role in
asexual reproduction in that they:
a. conduct respiration
b. produce spores
c. produce sperm
d. produce eggs
Fungi
15
15. A single mushroom is capable of producing billions of:
a. spores
b. larva
c. live young
d. eggs
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Preliminary Assessment
Name:
Directions: Answer the following using complete sentences:
16. List two characteristics common to fungi.
17. Where and how do fungi obtain their nutrients?
18. Describe one method of asexual reproduction exhibited by fungi.
19. The principle kinds of hyphae are rhizoids, stolons, and sporangia. Describe the function of one of these.
20. What are lichens?
Fungi
16
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Post Assessment
Name:
Directions: Circle the best answer for each of the following questions.
1. Larger fungi have bodies made of thread-like filaments called:
a. spindles
b. cilia
c. flagella
d. hyphae
2. The cell walls of fungi are made of a material called:
a. cellulose
b. chitin
c. iron
d. fibrinogen
9. Fungi do not carry out photosynthesis and do not contain:
a. hyphae
b. cells
c. chlorophyll
d. mycelium
10. Approximately how many species of fungi have been classified? a. 200
b. 8
c. over 70,000
d. one million
3. Which phylum includes the greatest diversity of fungi:
a. Zygomycota
b. Deuteromycota
c. Ascomycota
d. Basidiomycota
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
11. Sporangia are hyphae that play a key role in
asexual reproduction in that they:
a. conduct respiration
b. produce spores
c. produce sperm
d. produce eggs
In fungi sexual reproduction, the two different mating types of hyphae are referred to as:
12. A single mushroom is capable of producing billions of:
a. male and female
a. spores
b. sperm and egg
b. larva
c. pollen grains
c. live young
d. plus and minus
d. eggs
Fungi absorb nutrients they need and are:
13. Which of the following fungi help bread dough rise a. photosynthetic
before baking?
b. heterotrophic
a. mushrooms
c. chemosynthetic
b. truffles
d. non-white
c. yeast
d. morels
Which of the following ways does not describe how fungi obtain energy:
14. Where in a mushroom are basidia located?
a. absorption
a. on the stalk
b. heterotrophically
b. on the cap
c. via photosynthesis
c. on the gills
d. enzymes breaking down organic molecules
d. in the stalk
While plants are green, fungi tend to be:
15. Lichens consist of two organisms living together a. non-green
symbiotically, an alga or blue-green bacterium, and b. purple
what?
c. non-white
a. fungus
d. non-living
b. bacterium
c. protozoan
Fungi can reproduce via budding and regeneration. d. protist
These are forms of:
a. asexual reproduction
b. sexual reproduction
c. binary fission
d. pollination
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Post Assessment
Name:
Directions: Answer the following using complete sentences:
16. Describe one method of asexual reproduction exhibited by fungi.
17. What are lichens?
18. Where and how do fungi obtain their nutrients?
19. List two characteristics common to fungi.
20. The principle kinds of hyphae are rhizoids, stolons, and sporangia. Describe the function of one of these.
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Video Review
Name:
Directions: Answer these questions as you watch the video:
1. You Compare!
Describe an obvious difference between this plant and this fungus.
2. You Decide!
Where do you think this fungus obtains its needed nutrients?
3. You Observe!
Describe the appearance of this bread.
4. You Decide!
What do you eat nearly everyday in which yeast is an ingredient?
Video Assessment
Directions: After you watch the video, fill in the blank to complete the sentence.
1. Fungi are different from plants in that they don’t carry out ____________________.
2. Fungi _____________________ the nutrients they need.
3. Larger fungi are made up of thread-like filaments called _____________________.
4. _____________________ secreted by hyphae help break down organic molecules.
5. Budding is a type of _____________________ reproduction in fungi.
6. _____________________ are reproductive cells produced by the fungi fruiting body.
7. The fuzzy layer of fungus often found on old bread is an example of a _____________________ .
8. _____________________ is an example of sac fungi used in making bread.
9. The above ground mushroom is the fruiting _____________________ portion of the organism.
10. Lichens consist of two organisms, an alga or blue-green bacteria and a _____________________.
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Fungi
Vocabulary
Name:
Directions: Unscramble the vocabulary words in the first column. Match the words to the
definitions in the second column.
____ 1. ugsnfu _______________________
____ 2. hhpaye ______________________
a. A method of asexual reproduction in which a parent cell divides forming a bud that breaks off to form a new organism.
____ 3. lymumeic ______________________
b. Structures that absorb nutrients and
anchor fungi to their food source.
____ 4. gbnuidd ______________________
c. Group of fungi that includes unicellular yeasts, cup fungi, morels, and truffles.
____ 5. eoetergiannr ______________________
d. A non-green, heterotrophic organism that’s not a plant, animal, or protist.
____ 6. ssepro ______________________
____ 7. aulexs oiptdrocnrue ______________________
_________________________________
____ 8. hzisidor ______________________
e. Reproductive cells produced by the fruiting body of a fungus.
f. Group of fungi that include common molds.
g. Thread-like filaments that make up fungi.
____ 9. sstnool ______________________
h. Structures that connect groups of rhizoids together.
____ 10. prnisaago ______________________
i. Symbiotic relationship between alga or blue-green bacterium, and fungus.
____ 11. ooyytzacgm ______________________
____ 12. ymcooctsaa ______________________
____ 13. siytaooicdbma __________________________
j. Structures in fungi that produce spores.
k. A form of asexual reproduction in which a fragment breaks off the parent organism and forms a new organism.
l. Tangled branches of hyphae that form the body of a fungus.
____ 14. ecemdytatuoor __________________________ m. Fusing of two different mating types of fungal hyphae - a plus and a minus.
____ 15. ecnislh _________________________
n. The group of fungi referred to as the
imperfect fungi.
o. Examples include mushrooms, puffballs, basket fungi, and rusts.
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Fungi vs. Plants
Name:
Background: While plants and fungi may appear to be similar, they are actually quite
different. One obvious difference between a plant and a fungus is that the plant is
green and the fungus is non-green (often white, orange, or brown). Fungi don’t contain
chlorophyll, and they don’t carry out photosynthesis. Instead of producing their own food
(as do plants), fungi absorb the nutrients they need from the environment, and therefore
are heterotrophic. Fungi are also different from plants in that their cell walls are made of
a material called chitin, the same material found in your fingernails. Plant cell walls are
made of cellulose. There are many other differences between fungi and plants relating to
their cell structure, ways they obtain food, and method of reproduction.
Directions: Use your knowledge to complete the comparison chart of fungi and plants.
Fungi
Plants
Form
Cell Structure
Nutrition
Reproduction
Diversity
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Fungi Diversity
Name:
Background: Fungi come in many different forms and sizes, ranging from
small unicellular forms, to large multicellular structures. Fungi are classified
into one of four phyla based on various characteristics, including method
of reproduction. The four major fungi phyla are: Zygomycota, Ascomycota,
Basidiomycota, and Deuteromycota. Let’s take a look at these different
phyla.
A group of fungi referred to as common molds, in the phylum Zygomycota, include over 1,000
species. They are frequently found in soil or on dead plants and animals. The common bread
mold, Rhizopus is a typical member of this group. It grows as a cotton-like mass of filaments on
bread and fruit. These organisms generally lack septa, which are the walls that divide a hypha
into segments. The white or gray mycelium consists of several kinds of hyphae. The three
principle kinds of hyphae are rhizoids, stolons, and sporangia. Rhizoids are structures that absorb
nutrients and anchor the organism to its food source. Stolons connect groups of rhizoids to each
other. They also transport nutrients and other materials throughout the fungus. Another type of
hyphae, sporangia, are structures that produce spores. The sporangia are capable of producing
haploid spores during asexual reproduction. Fungi in the phylum Zygomycota are also capable of
reproducing sexually.
The sac fungi, in the phylum Ascomycota, are the largest group of fungi, numbering over 64,000
species. They include powdery mildews, unicellular yeasts, cup fungi, morels, and truffles. A
characteristic common to these fungi is the presence of saclike structures called asci that are
present during the process of sexual reproduction. In most cases sac fungi reproduce asexually
by releasing haploid spores. Unicellular forms such as yeasts reproduce via cell division or by
budding. When sexual reproduction occurs in sac fungi, two mating types fuse to form a cell
called an ascogonium. The growing ascogonium generates hyphae that form an ascus at the
end. The nuclei in asci go through multiple changes that eventually result in the formation of
spores. It is these spores that grow into new organisms. Several different types of sac fungi are
economically valuable. Yeast, for example, is used to help bread rise.
Believe it or not, whenever you eat mushrooms you are eating fungi. Mushrooms are in a group of
fungi commonly referred to as club fungi. Club fungi, in the phylum Basidiomycota, include most
of the fungi you see while walking through fields or in the forest. Examples include mushrooms,
toadstools, puffballs, basket fungi, and rusts. In the process of sexual reproduction club fungi
produce spores, specifically called basidiospores. Basidiospores develop in a club-shaped
structure called the basidium located at the end of a specialized hypha. Some club fungi are
capable of producing spores asexually. Mushrooms are the most familiar club fungi, and include
over 30,000 species.
Fungi commonly called imperfect fungi, in the phylum Deuteromycota, are believed to only
reproduce asexually. An apparent lack of sexual stages makes these fungi difficult to study and
classify. They are therefore referred to as imperfect fungi. There are many different kinds of
imperfect fungi totaling over 25,000 species. Some are responsible for causing problems such as
irritating, itchy athlete’s foot. Ringworm is another problem caused by imperfect fungi. But, not
all species of imperfect fungi are harmful. For example, the fungi Penicillium is used to produce
antibiotic penicillin. This antibiotic has undoubtedly saved millions of lives. It has been prescribed
to fight bacterial infections such as pneumonia, rheumatic fever, and scarlet fever to name just a
few.
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Fungi Diversity
Name:
Directions: Using your knowledge of fungi, describe the major characteristics of each of the four
phyla of fungi.
1. Phylum Zygomycota
a. Common name:
b. Example:
c. Number of known species:
d. Reproduction:
e. Key characteristic:
2. Phylum Ascomycota
a. Common name:
b. Example:
c. Number of known species:
d. Reproduction:
e. Key characteristic:
3. Phylum Basidiomycota
a. Common name:
b. Example:
c. Number of known species:
d. Reproduction:
e. Key characteristic:
4. Phylum Deuteromycota
a. Common name:
b. Example:
c. Number of known species:
d. Reproduction:
e. Key characteristic:
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Mushroom Anatomy
Name:
Background: Believe it or not, whenever you eat mushrooms you are eating fungi.
Mushrooms are in a group of fungi commonly referred to as club fungi. Mushrooms
are the most familiar club fungi. The structure we refer to as the mushroom is actually
the fruiting spore-producing part of the fungi. The other part of the organism grows
beneath the surface of the ground. It lives on the remains of dead plants and animals,
sometimes for years before growing above the surface when conditions are favorable. A
mushroom generally consists of a stalk and a cap. The undersurface of the cap contains
many, slit-like structures called gills. Each gill is made of hyphae that are pressed closely
together. Basidia, containing basidiospores are located on the gills. In some cases,
a single mushroom is capable of producing over one billion spores! Mushrooms are a
commercially valuable food used in salads, and even as a main course. While many types
of mushrooms are edible some can be extremely poisonous. It’s a good policy to not eat
mushrooms you find in the wild.
Directions: Label the following parts of the mushroom: stalk, cap, gills. Next to each
term state the function of the structure.
1.
2.
3.
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Lichens
Name:
Lichens are fascinating organisms that live closer to you than you might think.
Take a good look around your home, on the sides of stones or trees, or even
on the building itself. If you notice organisms with patterned shadings, or low
crusty formations, it’s a good chance these living things are lichens. Lichens
are fascinating because they consist of just not one living thing, but two
different organisms living together. These two separate organisms, a green
alga or cyanobacterium, and a fungus live together in a symbiotic relationship.
Lichens are also interesting in that they live in a wide range of environments.
Historically they have had many important uses, and they even serve as a
biomonitors of pollution.
While lichens are often mistaken for low-growing plants or fungi, they are actually quite different
from both. In lichens, a fungus (most often in the phyla Ascomycota) encases algal cells or
blue-green bacteria (cyanobacteria) within complex fungal tissues. In this relationship the
photosynthetic alga or bacterium produce energy for itself as well as the fungus. Consequently
a mutualistic relationship occurs, with the algal cells benefiting from a substrate in which they are
protected by the fungus, and the fungus benefiting from food produced by the photosynthetic
organism.
There are over 17,000 identified species of lichens. Beyond living in moderate climates, they also
inhabit some of the most extreme environments on the planet - hot deserts, arctic tundra, and can
even be found in contaminated or toxic places. They also are epiphytic, living on other plants as
well as on bare rock. A major advantage of lichens is that they are poikilohydric, meaning they can
tolerate extended periods of severe desiccation. They have the ability to enter a state of metabolic
suspension in which they are so dehydrated that almost all biochemical activity stops. This ability
enables them to tolerate wide extremes in temperature and drought. In many cases they are able
to live in places where few other organisms can.
Lichens are important for a wide variety of reasons. Lichens can be eaten by some animals such
as reindeer in arctic environments. Some butterfly species also eat lichens. Believe it or not,
lichens have been eaten by people as well. For example, the lichen referred to as Iceland moss
was a significant food source in northern Europe where it was eaten as a salad, soup, or cooked
as a bread. Because lichens lack roots their primary source of most elements is the air. For this
reason elemental levels in lichens often reflect air composition. Hence, some lichens in many
cases are considered to be good biomonitors of atmospheric quality.
Questions:
1. What are lichens?
2. Describe how the organisms benefit in the mutualistic relationship.
3. Describe why lichens can survive in extreme environments.
4. Why are lichens sometimes used as biomonitors?
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