Biological Sciences
Fungi
Fungi are a diverse group of organisms that play crucial roles in ecosystems. They are eukaryotic, non-photosynthetic organisms that obtain nutrients through absorption. Fungi can be found in various habitats and have important ecological and economic impacts, serving as decomposers, pathogens, and sources of food and medicine.
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10 Key excerpts on "Fungi"
eBook - PDF- Davis, Z(Authors)
- 2018(Publication Date)
- Agri Horti Press(Publisher)
Many Fungi produce toxins, antibiotics, and other secondary metabolites. For example, the cosmopolitan (worldwide) genus Fusarium and their toxins associated with fatal outbreaks of alimentary toxic aleukia in humans were extensively studied by Abraham Joffe. Fungi are fundamental for life on earth in their roles as symbionts, e.g. in the form of mycorrhizae, insect symbionts and lichens as well as their potency in breaking down complex organic biomolecules such as wood as well as xenobiotics, a critical step in the global carbon cycle. Fungi and other organisms traditionally recognized as Fungi (such as oomycetes and slime molds) often are economically and socially important as some cause diseases of animals (such as histoplasmosis) as well as plants (such as Dutch elm disease and Rice blast). Field meetings to find interesting species of Fungi are known as ‘forays’, after the first such meeting organized by the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club in 1868 and entitled “a foray among the funguses.” FUNGUS The Fungi (singular fungus) are a kingdom of eukaryotic organisms. They are heterotrophic and digest their food externally, absorbing nutrient molecules into their cells. Yeasts, molds, and mushrooms are examples of Fungi. The branch of biology involving the study of Fungi is known as mycology. This ebook is exclusively for this university only. Cannot be resold/distributed. Mycology: The Fungi 213 Fungi often have important symbiotic relationships with other organisms. Mycorrhizal symbiosis between plants and Fungi is particularly important; over 90% of all plant species engage in some kind of mycorrhizal relationship with Fungi and are dependent upon this relationship for survival. Fungi are also used extensively by humans: yeasts are responsible for fermentation of beer and bread, and mushroom farming and gathering is a large industry in many countries. Fungi and bacteria are the primary decomposers of organic matter in almost all terrestrial ecosystems worldwide.
eBook - ePub- Britannica Educational Publishing, Kara Rogers(Authors)
- 2010(Publication Date)
- Britannica Educational Publishing(Publisher)
All Fungi are classified in the kingdom Fungi, which includes the yeasts, rusts, smuts, mildews, molds, mushrooms, and toadstools. There are also many funguslike organisms, including slime molds and oomycetes, that do not belong to kingdom Fungi but are often called Fungi. Many of these funguslike organisms are included in the kingdom Chromista. Fungi are among the most widely distributed organisms on Earth and are of great environmental and medical importance. Many Fungi are free-living in soil or water. Other species form parasitic or symbiotic relationships with plants or animals.Fungi are eukaryotic organisms that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The fruiting body of the cauliflower mushroom (Sparassis herbstii) is made up of wavy lobes and is usually cream or pale yellow in colour . L.N. and Anella DexterHistorically, the Fungi were included in the plant kingdom. However, because Fungi lack chlorophyll and are distinguished by unique structural and physiological features (i.e., components of the cell wall and cell membrane), they have been separated from plants. In addition, the Fungi are clearly distinguished from all other living organisms, including animals, by their principal modes of vegetative growth and nutrient intake. Fungi grow from the tips of filaments (hyphae) that make up the bodies of the organisms (mycelia), and they digest organic matter externally before absorbing it into their mycelia.Amanita pantherina, commonly called panther cap, is a type of toadstool, an inedible or poisonous mushroom . L. Hugh Newman from The Natural History Photographic Agency—EB Inc.While mushrooms and toadstools (poisonous mushrooms) are by no means the most numerous or economically significant Fungi, they are the most easily recognized Fungi. The Latin word for mushroom, fungus (plural Fungi ), has come to stand for the whole group. Similarly, the study of Fungi is known as mycology—a broad application of the Greek word for mushroom, mykēs
eBook - ePubEnvironmental Pollution Control Microbiology
A Fifty-Year Perspective
- Ross E. McKinney(Author)
- 2004(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
Chapter 4Fungi AND YEASTS
While the bacteria are the largest group of microorganisms, they are not the only microorganisms of interest to environmental microbiologists. The Fungi and yeasts are important groups of non-photosynthetic microorganisms that exist widely in nature and are active in the stabilization of organic residues in both the soil environment and the aqueous environment. Unfortunately, less quantitative data are available about the Fungi and yeasts than about bacteria. It may well be related to the fact that these microorganisms have played a lesser role in diseases than bacteria. It could also be that bacteria were easier to isolate and to study in pure culture. The limited quantitative biochemical information does not make the Fungi and yeasts less important, it only makes them more difficult to study and evaluate. The role of yeasts in alcoholic fermentation and in nutritional supplements has produced considerable information about some of the yeasts. This information can be of value to environmental microbiologists and provides a place to start when looking at yeasts in industrial wastewater treatment systems.Fungi
Fungi are non-photosynthetic, multicellular microorganisms that metabolize organic matter in a similar manner as bacteria. Fungi are primarily strict aerobes, requiring dissolved oxygen and soluble organic compounds for metabolism. They are predominately filamentous and reproduce by producing large numbers of spores. Unlike bacteria, Fungi have a nucleus that is self-contained within each cell. They are larger than bacteria and can produce true cell branching in their filaments. Fungi have more complex phases in their life cycle than bacteria. The identification of Fungi has been based entirely upon their physical characteristics and on the different phases of their life cycle. Current emphasis on genetic structure may result in significant changes in the identification and classification of Fungi. Over the years mycologists have placed greater emphasis on identification of Fungi than on their biochemistry. There have been more than 100,000 species of Fungi identified. Currently, Fungi are classified in the Eucarya
No longer available |Learn more- (Author)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- Academic Studio(Publisher)
Abundant worldwide, most Fungi are inconspicuous because of the small size of their structures, and their cryptic lifestyles in soil, on dead matter, and as symbionts of plants, animals, or other Fungi. They may become noticeable when fruiting, either as mushrooms or molds. Fungi perform an essential role in the decomposition of organic matter and have fundamental roles in nutrient cycling and exchange. They have long been used as a direct source of food, such as mushrooms and truffles, as a leavening agent for bread, and in fermentation of various food products, such as wine, beer, and soy sauce. Since the 1940s, Fungi have been used for the production of antibiotics, and, more recently, various enzymes produced by Fungi are used industrially and in detergents. Fungi are also used as biological pesticides to control weeds, plant diseases and insect pests. Many species produce bioactive compounds called mycotoxins, such as alkaloids and polyketides, that are toxic to animals including humans. The fruiting structures of a few species contain psychotropic compounds and are consumed recreationally or in traditional spiritual ceremonies. Fungi can break down manufactured materials and buildings, and become significant pathogens of humans and other animals. Losses of crops due to fungal diseases (e.g. rice blast disease) or food spoilage can have a large impact on human food supplies and local economies. ________________________ WORLD TECHNOLOGIES ________________________ The fungus kingdom encompasses an enormous diversity of taxa with varied ecologies, life cycle strategies, and morphologies ranging from single-celled aquatic chytrids to large mushrooms. However, little is known of the true biodiversity of Kingdom Fungi, which has been estimated at around 1.5 million species, with about 5% of these having been formally classified.
eBook - PDF- N A Khan(Author)
- 2008(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
CHAPTER 6 Fungi 1. INTRODUCTION Fungi are eukaryotic organisms that contain more than 300,000 species and some (few hundred) have been recognized as human pathogens, causing mild infections to serious life-threatening diseases. The majority of fungal pathogens cause opportunistic infections, i.e., normally limited to individuals with a weak immune system. The increasing numbers of immunocompromised patients especially due to HIV have made a large part of the human population susceptible to the fungal infections. Similar to protozoa, the study of mycology began with the discovery of microscope. They were first observed by Robert Hooke in 1667, followed by Leeuwenhoek in 1689 observing their structure and budding. Later Antonio Micheli (1729) described hundreds of Fungi as independent organisms. Thus far, the majority of Fungi identified were plant pathogens and were identified from the decaying matter. For the next 100 years, the major focus in the field of mycology remained in their role as plant pathogens. However, in 1839, fungus ( Trichophyton ) was identified as the causative agent of human disease causing cutaneous infections. 2. TAXONOMY As indicated previously, all livings beings are divided into two domains (Prokaryota and Eukaryotes). Within Prokaryota, there are two kingdoms, Archaebacteria and Eubacteria (Bacteria). Eukaryota is composed of five kingdoms including Protozoa, Chromista, Plantae, Animalia and Eumycota. Here, Fungi are classified into two domains, Chromista and Eumycota, which are further divided into 5 phyla as follows, 2.1 Chromista (also called Fungi Imperfecti or Deuteromycota) 1. Phylum Hyphochytriomycota Fungi exhibit asexual reproduction and no known sexual stage. Fungi have a haploid vegetative stage and possess cellulose-containing cell walls. These include Fungi that are mostly unknown to humans. 2. Phylum Oomycota (also called water moulds) Fungi exhibit asexual reproduction and no known sexual stage.
eBook - ePubWood Microbiology
Decay and Its Prevention
- Robert A. Zabel, Jeffrey J. Morrell(Authors)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- Academic Press(Publisher)
An understanding of the decay process and its prevention or control depends, in part, on understanding the features and capabilities of these decay agents. This chapter emphasizes the unique nature of Fungi and their relationship to the other major life forms. It reviews fungal structures, growth patterns, life cycles, reproductive modes, and variable features of Fungi, placing emphasis on the wood-inhabitors. Classification systems are presented to facilitate the taxonomic placement and recognition of some of the major wood-inhabiting microorganisms. Since bacteria cause only minor damage to structural wood in most environments, they are only briefly covered.Fungi in relation to other life forms
Prior to the invention of the microscope, all life forms were grouped into the Plant and Animal Kingdoms. The existence of small life forms was unknown. Visible fungal structures were considered to be excrescences of dying or dead plants. Late in the 17th century, the development of the microscope and startling reports of Anton van Leeuwenhoek on the “wee animalcules” opened a window to the hidden world of small life forms (the resolving limit of the unaided eye is approximately 0.1 mm). The study of natural materials revealed a microcosmos, teeming with prodigious numbers and diverse kinds of unicellular and other small life forms. The term microorganism was introduced and microbiology began. At first, it was believed that the fungal “threads” observed in decayed wood and other small organisms seen in organic materials originated spontaneously or were again excrescences of dying or dead materials.Nearly a century later, the causative role of microorganisms in disease and decay was established by Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch and others. It was soon recognized that many of the microorganisms involved in fermentation and decay were neither plants nor animals and required a new category. The term Protista was proposed for the unicellular or small life forms with unspecialized tissues.
eBook - ePub- Harriet A. Burge(Author)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
5 FungiEstelle Levetin
CONTENTSI. Introduction II. The Nature of the Fungi A. Morphology B. Physiology III. Fungal Ecology IV. Classification Systems A. Kingdom Protista B. Kingdom Fungi V. Aerobiology of Fungi A. Aerodynamics B. Release and Discharge Mechanisms C. Airborne Transport D. Influence of the Airborne State E. Outdoor Prevalence VI. Indoor Aerobiology A. Indoor Sources of Bioaerosols B. Indoor Prevalence VII. Diseases Caused by Airborne Fungi A. Allergic Diseases B. Infectious Diseases VIII. Future Research Needs IX. Conclusion References I. INTRODUCTION
The presence of fungal spores in both the atmosphere and the indoor environment is well established. Although these spores are normal components of the atmosphere, indoors they are usually considered contaminants. The control of fungal contamination requires a thorough understanding of the Fungi and the indoor ecosystem, as well as knowledge of the outdoor air spora and the factors that influence fungal survival.II. THE NATURE OF THE Fungi
A. Morphology
Fungi are eukaryotic organisms that belong to a kingdom distinct from plants and animals. Fungi include inconspicuous yeasts, molds, and mildews, as well as large mushrooms, puffballs, and bracket Fungi. Structurally, Fungi exist as single cells such as yeast or, far more commonly, as threadlike hyphae. Hyphae usually branch extensively, and the collective mass of interwoven hyphal filaments is referred to as a mycelium. Depending on the species, each hypha may have many short cells, or it may be nonseptate with multiple nuclei existing in a common cytoplasm. While individual hyphae are microscopic, the mycelium is often visible to the naked eye. Highly specialized reproductive structures such as mushrooms and brackets are actually compact masses of tightly interwoven hyphae and are the visible portion of an extensive mycelium within the substrate.
eBook - PDF- Davis, Z(Authors)
- 2021(Publication Date)
- Agri Horti Press(Publisher)
Brief Descriptions of Microorganisms Bacteria are relatively simple, prokaryotic organisms whose cells lack a nucleus or nuclear membrane. The bacteria may appear as rods, spheres, or spirals. Bacteria reproduce by binary fission, have unique constituents in their cell walls, and exist in most environments on earth. For instance, they live at temperatures ranging from 0° to 100°C and in conditions that are oxygen rich or oxygen free. A microscope is necessary to see and study them. Fungi are eukaryotic microorganisms that include multicellular molds and unicellular yeasts. The yeasts are slightly larger than bacteria and are used in alcoholic fermentations and bread making. Certain yeasts such as Candida albicans are pathogenic. Molds are filamentous, branched Fungi that use spores for reproduction. The Fungi prefer acidic environments, and most live at room temperature under oxygen-rich conditions. The common mushroom is a fungus. Protozoa are eukaryotic, unicellular organisms. Motion is a characteristic associated with many species, and the protozoa can be classified just as to how they move: Some protozoa use This ebook is exclusively for this university only. Cannot be resold/distributed. 226 Introduction to Fungi flagella, others use cilia, and others use pseudopodia. Certain species are nonmotile. Protozoa exist in an infinite variety of shapes because they have no cell walls. Many species cause such human diseases as malaria, sleeping sickness, dysentery, and toxoplasmosis. The term algae implies a variety of plantlike organisms. In microbiology, several types of single-celled algae are important. Examples are the diatoms and dinoflagellates that inhabit the oceans and are found at the bases of marine food chains. Most algae capture sunlight and transform it to the chemical energy of carbohydrates in the process of photosynthesis. Viruses are ultramicroscopic bits of genetic material enclosed in a protein shell and, sometimes, a membranous envelope.
eBook - ePubMicrobial Symbionts
Functions and Molecular Interactions on Host
- Dhanasekaran Dharumadurai(Author)
- 2022(Publication Date)
- Academic Press(Publisher)
Mushroom-based dietary supplements on the market include artificially cultivated fruiting body powders, hot water or alcohol extracts of these fruiting bodies, dried and pulverized preparations of the combined substrate, mycelium, and primordial mushroom, biomass or mycelium extracts harvested from a submerged liquid culture grown in a fermentation tank or bioreactor, and naturally raised, dried mushroom fruiting bodies in the form of capsules or tablets (Üstün, 2018, pp. 1205–1222). In Japan, China, Korea, and other Asian nations, modern treatment continues to rely on mushroom-derived preparations. Ganoderma lucidum, Lentinus edodes, Trametes versicolor, Flammulina velutipes, Pleurotus ostreatus, Agaricus brasiliensis, and Cordyceps sinensis are among the most valuable mushroom species used in traditional medicine (Abdel-Azeem et al., 2016 ; Wasser, 2002). Bacteria Bacteria are prokaryotic, single-celled organisms that are found almost everywhere on earth. Microscopes study bacteria because most prokaryotes are less than 10 micrometres (m) in size. Bacteria reproduce by binary fission, an asexual cell division and reproduction method. Bacterial species are usually subgrouped into different types and are used for many crucial pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Vibriones (Mohamad, 2014). Bacteria are a broad category of creatures classified into subgroups based on their traits. Gram staining (positive or negative), form (cocci or bacilli), and cultural features are used to classify the vast majority of bacteria (e.g., aerobic or anaerobic). Bacteria that live in mutual connection with other organisms are known as symbiotic bacteria. Both the pathogen and the host profit from each other in this relationship (Angelard & Bever, 2013). The term “symbiosis” has various interpretations, but it usually refers to a particular, long-term association between two or more species. Symbiotic relationships can be obligate, facultative, or endosymbiotic
eBook - ePubMicrobiomes and Their Functions
Why Organisms Need Microbes
- Vasu D. Appanna(Author)
- 2023(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
Although Fungi have evolved to accommodate their bacterial partners, they are known to live in association with other organisms where their input for the survival of the holoorganism is crucial. For instance, plants will be unable to lead a life usually rooted in their habitats without the assistance of their mycorrhiza. Fishes, birds and insects have also incorporated Fungi into their anatomical features in order to satisfy their wood-degrading habit. Rather than evolve novel biological networks to deal with this carbon source in their ecosystems, these organisms have recruited Fungi with the unique ability to release nutrients locked in the wood in a manner analogous to Fungi housing N 2 -fixing bacteria. Developing specialized cells or organs to tackle a specific challenge is relegated in favour of acquiring microbes with the biochemical machineries primed for such task. Thus, the fungal microbiome and the mycobiome evolved in tandem with their hosts to generate holoorganisms with a wider range of adaptive characteristics. SUGGESTED READINGS Ainsworth, T. D., Thurber, R. V., & Gates, R. D. (2009). The future of coral reefs: A microbial perspective. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 25 (4), 233–240. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2009.11.001. Anke, T., & Schüffler, A. (2018). The Mycota: A Comprehensive Treatise on Fungi as Experimental Systems for Basic and Applied Research. Cham: Springer. Bonfante, P., & Anca, I. (2009). Plants, mycorrhizal Fungi, and bacteria: A network of interactions. Annual Review of Microbiology, 63 (1), 363–383. doi: 10.1146/annurev.micro.091208.073504 Chialva, M. et al., (2020). Gigaspora margarita and its endobacterium modulate symbiotic marker genes in tomato roots under combined water and nutrient stress. Plants, 9 (7), 886. doi: 10.3390/plants9070886 Crosino, A. et al., (2021). Extraction of short chain chitooligosaccharides from fungal biomass and their use as promoters of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. Scientific Reports, 11 (1), 1–12
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