Ap Bio- Fungi
DOLP- Fungi
General Structure and Function:
For many years, fungi were classified into the plantae kingdom because the two kingdoms seemed to be alike; but now, we know that they are all too different. In fact, the fungi kingdom is more closely related to the animalia kingdom. Some of the only notable similarities between the fungi and plantae kingdoms are that they are both made of eukaryotic cells, both immobile, both contain cell walls (although made of different material), and both evolved from the protista kingdom.
The most major difference is that fungi have no chlorophyll. This means they cannot photosynthesize, and are thus heterotrophic. But fungi obviously aren't like animals, and don't have a stomach to digest their food in. There are various ways that fungi can receive their nourishment instead. The first thing they are able to do is secrete enzymes, called exoenzymes, to break down the complex molecules in their food into smaller organic compounds that they can easily absorb. Fungi that use this absorption method on nonliving organic material are called saprobes. If a fungi isn't saprobic, it would need to either a symbiotic partnership (where both sides benefit) or be a parasitic fungi (where it absorbs the nourishment off of a living host).
Most fungi are multicellular with eukaryotic cells, but some can be unicellular also, like yeast. Like plants, cells in fungi also have cell walls. But instead of being made of cellulose, it is made of chitin, a more flexible material. In general, fungi will have a basic structure of having a small filament (called hyphae) network that stretches out to invade the material that it will prey on, which is connected to a structure that will produce spores used in reproduction. The hyphae cells can either be septate or coencytic. Septate hyphae cells are separated with little walls that divide the hyphae so each division of the cell has only one nucleus. They also usually have pores that allow ribosomes,
General Structure and Function:
For many years, fungi were classified into the plantae kingdom because the two kingdoms seemed to be alike; but now, we know that they are all too different. In fact, the fungi kingdom is more closely related to the animalia kingdom. Some of the only notable similarities between the fungi and plantae kingdoms are that they are both made of eukaryotic cells, both immobile, both contain cell walls (although made of different material), and both evolved from the protista kingdom.
The most major difference is that fungi have no chlorophyll. This means they cannot photosynthesize, and are thus heterotrophic. But fungi obviously aren't like animals, and don't have a stomach to digest their food in. There are various ways that fungi can receive their nourishment instead. The first thing they are able to do is secrete enzymes, called exoenzymes, to break down the complex molecules in their food into smaller organic compounds that they can easily absorb. Fungi that use this absorption method on nonliving organic material are called saprobes. If a fungi isn't saprobic, it would need to either a symbiotic partnership (where both sides benefit) or be a parasitic fungi (where it absorbs the nourishment off of a living host).
Most fungi are multicellular with eukaryotic cells, but some can be unicellular also, like yeast. Like plants, cells in fungi also have cell walls. But instead of being made of cellulose, it is made of chitin, a more flexible material. In general, fungi will have a basic structure of having a small filament (called hyphae) network that stretches out to invade the material that it will prey on, which is connected to a structure that will produce spores used in reproduction. The hyphae cells can either be septate or coencytic. Septate hyphae cells are separated with little walls that divide the hyphae so each division of the cell has only one nucleus. They also usually have pores that allow ribosomes,