Fungi |Characteristic Features of Fungi |Mode of Nutrition in Fungi | Mode of Reproduction in Fungi

Fungi |Characteristic Features of Fungi |Mode of Nutrition in Fungi | Mode of Reproduction in Fungi

You would have seen fungi as a white layer on bread when you leave it outside at room temperature for quite a few days. Fungi get favourable conditions & therefore they grow. But, the same bread when kept inside a refrigerator remains fresh for a longer period of time. Fungi are multicellular e. they are made up of multiple cells They are Heterotrophic (Depend on others for their food). They live in colonies and prefer warm & moist places to grow. They are immobile. Some common examples of fungi are: Yeast, Mushroom, Molds. 1. Organisms of kingdom Fungi have the capacity to become multi-cellular, at some stage of their lives. Some are uni-cellular.

They are Eukaryotic.They have cell walls made up of tough complex sugar called “chitin”.Some of these organisms use decaying organic material as food, so they are called “saprotrophs”. Some require a living protoplasm of a host organism for food, they are called “parasites”. Examples: Yeasts (unicellular), Moulds, and Mushrooms. Some fungal species live in permanent, mutually dependent relationship with blue-green algae (cyanobacteria). This relationship is called as “symbiosis”, and the symbiotic life forms are called “litchens”. We can see litchens as the slow growing, multi-coloured patches on the barks of the trees.

Characteristic features of fungi

Fungi are unicellular or multicellular and filamentous. All fungi are made up of fine threads called hyphae. Fungi are plant like organism. They have cell wall.They lack chlorophyll and that’s why do not perform the process of photosynthesis. Store food in the form of glycogen instead of starch. Examples of fungi are yeast, moulds such as Penicillium, bread mould and aspergillus, mushrooms etc. Study of fungi is called mycology.

Habitat of fungi

Fungi are present everywhere and in any habitat. They are found in deserts, cold regions, sea waters, fresh water, in soil, on plants and animals, human skin etc. They grow best in dark warm moist places.

Mode of nutrition in fungi

Fungi look like plant but they cannot make their own food. Fungi are heterotrophic i.e. they depend upon another organism for their food. Fungi generally follow saprophytic or parasitic mode of nutrition. Saprophytic fungi obtain their nutrients from non-living organic matter, usually dead and decaying plants and animals matter by absorbing soluble organic compounds. Parasitic fungi live in or on other organism and get their nutrients from their host. It generally causes disease or illness to the host.

Mode of reproduction in fungi

The Reproduction of fungi can be either sexual or Asexual. In asexual mode of reproduction fungi reproduce by Fragmentation, Budding. Produces spores. The majority of fungi reproduces asexually.

Advantages of fungi in day to day life and it’s usage

Fungi are decomposers, they are good for the soil and cleaning up the environment. Many fungi are used for the production of antibiotics. For example Penicillium is a fungus which produces antibiotic call penicillin. All mushrooms, including the ones we eat, a large fungi. Yeast is another useful fungus which is used in many fermentation processes.

Disadvantages of fungi

Many saprophytic fungi spoil our food, clothes, leather articles etc. example you me have noticed the cottony growth on leather or stale bread. Eating such food can make you ill. Many fungus can cause human diseases.

Some fungal species produces toxin that affects plants animals and humans.

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NANDITHA AKUNURI