6.07 Honors: A Fungus Among Us

The Honors student will:

• relate special adaptive structures of fungi to their functions

The organisms in the fungus kingdom are special organisms. They don't quite fit anywhere else. You know, they sort of look like plants, but their cells don't have chlorophyll. You've also learned that they belong to a special group of heterotrophs called decomposers. Some groups of fungi, rusts and smuts, cause disease and millions of dollars in crop and landscape foliage damage every year.

In addition, they have additional features that make them unique. For example, fungus cells also have a cell wall, but it is unlike the cell wall we find in plants. Instead of being made of cellulose as a plant cell wall is, a fungus's cell wall is made out of a substance called chitin. Chitin is a tough, rigid substance that is also found in the exoskeleton of insects and crustaceans like crabs and lobsters. This gives the overall body of the fungus support.

The "body" of many fungi is made up of special cells called hyphae. They are long and branched looking. Here is a microscopic picture of some hyphae:

Soon after a fungus spore germinates, the hyphae begin to grow out from the spore and intertwine to create the body of the fungus. Hyphae have a nucleus (sometimes many nuclei), and the other typical organelles like mitochondria and golgi bodies.

Take a closer look at the cells of a fungus by watching the video clip about structures, feeding habits, and growth of fungi.

As you watch the video clip, take time to watch and listen for the answer to these questions. You will turn them into your instructor.

1. Describe the relationship between the hyphae and mycelium.
2. Why must a fungus live in moist areas?
3. What is the difference between a saprophyte and parasite?

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