THE FUNGI KINGDOM:
The fungi kingdom is nature’s recycler. They are heretrophs, meaning they cannot make their own food. Although classified as a plant up a while back, scientists have discovered that fungi DO NOT produce chlorophyll, which means they do not undergo photosynthesis to gain essential nutrients. Instead, they rely on other organisms, living or dead to keep themselves alive. Fungi are quite a bit different from any other kingdom. They reproduce by shooting spores, are eukaryotic and do not have stomachs.
SAPROPHYTES AND PARASITES:
These are the 2 ways for fungal intake of food. Saprophytic fungi (and other organisms) feed on dead organisms, and are commonly known to be the environmental recycler. They break down waste from dead or decaying organisms and therefore allowing the recycled material to be used by other members of that ecosystem. Although saprophytes are commonly associated as the ‘good fungi’, they can have major negative repercussions. For example, they may feed on timber, an essential resource for many animals, and destroy trees altogether. And, because they recycle organic matter, they spoil food. Ultimately, though, without the decomposition of decaying and/or dead organisms, nature wouldn’t exist. It would just be dead and decaying multi-cellular creatures.
Parasites, on the other hand, feed off of living organisms, like the food in your stomach. Yeah. Parasites need a host that is living in order to gain the proper nutrients. But, if they manage to remove all cellular nutrients from that host, they will turn into saprophytes and feed on the dead and decaying organism. If the parasite manages to find another host, it will continue to feed on that. Because of the invasive nature of these parasites, taking down many homes of many living organisms, other fungi (saprophytes) will form short lived relationships with other creatures such as plants and animals to defend them from the parasitical creatures to come. Parasites are very harmful, and cause diseases in many important crops.
The above video demonstrates the frightening side of fungus. Cordyceps is a deadly parasite that will take over the mind of different creatures (specialized) and potentially kill them.
The fungi kingdom is nature’s recycler. They are heretrophs, meaning they cannot make their own food. Although classified as a plant up a while back, scientists have discovered that fungi DO NOT produce chlorophyll, which means they do not undergo photosynthesis to gain essential nutrients. Instead, they rely on other organisms, living or dead to keep themselves alive. Fungi are quite a bit different from any other kingdom. They reproduce by shooting spores, are eukaryotic and do not have stomachs.
SAPROPHYTES AND PARASITES:
These are the 2 ways for fungal intake of food. Saprophytic fungi (and other organisms) feed on dead organisms, and are commonly known to be the environmental recycler. They break down waste from dead or decaying organisms and therefore allowing the recycled material to be used by other members of that ecosystem. Although saprophytes are commonly associated as the ‘good fungi’, they can have major negative repercussions. For example, they may feed on timber, an essential resource for many animals, and destroy trees altogether. And, because they recycle organic matter, they spoil food. Ultimately, though, without the decomposition of decaying and/or dead organisms, nature wouldn’t exist. It would just be dead and decaying multi-cellular creatures.
Parasites, on the other hand, feed off of living organisms, like the food in your stomach. Yeah. Parasites need a host that is living in order to gain the proper nutrients. But, if they manage to remove all cellular nutrients from that host, they will turn into saprophytes and feed on the dead and decaying organism. If the parasite manages to find another host, it will continue to feed on that. Because of the invasive nature of these parasites, taking down many homes of many living organisms, other fungi (saprophytes) will form short lived relationships with other creatures such as plants and animals to defend them from the parasitical creatures to come. Parasites are very harmful, and cause diseases in many important crops.
The above video demonstrates the frightening side of fungus. Cordyceps is a deadly parasite that will take over the mind of different creatures (specialized) and potentially kill them.
HOW FUNGI DIGEST AND REPRODUCE:
Since fungi are heterotrophs, they need to feed off of other living organisms to obtain their food. But they are quite different from the protists, monerans and the almighty Animalia. Fungi do not have stomachs. Instead, they digest by secreting digestive enzymes from their hyphae onto their food. The enzymes, chemically break down the substance into a simpler molecular structure, where the remaining nutrients will be taken by mycelia and carried down to the main cells to be used as energy.
Fungi reproduce quite differently as well. Comparing them to most plants, they aren’t flowering plants, or gymnosperms. Instead, they are spore bearing organisms. Most fungi reproduce asexually by growing spores on various parts of their body. They then shoot the spores into the air, and the wind will carry them to a new food source. But, to reproduce sexually, two fungus sex cells must unite to fuse the nuclei together.
Since fungi are heterotrophs, they need to feed off of other living organisms to obtain their food. But they are quite different from the protists, monerans and the almighty Animalia. Fungi do not have stomachs. Instead, they digest by secreting digestive enzymes from their hyphae onto their food. The enzymes, chemically break down the substance into a simpler molecular structure, where the remaining nutrients will be taken by mycelia and carried down to the main cells to be used as energy.
Fungi reproduce quite differently as well. Comparing them to most plants, they aren’t flowering plants, or gymnosperms. Instead, they are spore bearing organisms. Most fungi reproduce asexually by growing spores on various parts of their body. They then shoot the spores into the air, and the wind will carry them to a new food source. But, to reproduce sexually, two fungus sex cells must unite to fuse the nuclei together.
TYPES OF FUNGI:
Fungi aren’t just ol’ Mario mushrooms, they are a diverse array blight of specimen and bacteria. They may also be mold, yeast, rust, mildew, and lichen.
Mold: Mold forms almost anywhere, but thrives on damp items with high levels of cellulose. It requires the organic material and carbon from its food to survive and reproduce, and also eats bacterial matter. This fungi is a multi-cellular filamentous that decomposes mostly living material. Making cheese slowly turn blue, and bread rot away. Colonies are the most visible to the naked eye, joined together by multiple filaments (hyphae). The main body is called mycelium. Mildew are very similar.
Yeast: Yeast are single celled organisms, BUT, nonetheless filamentous fungi. Yeast, is commonly fermented and used to make bread and other products as beer and cheese. They feed on fructose and other simple sugars. By breaking these sugars down, using their enzymes, they create fermented products and can create alcohol. Yeast are asexual, and reproduce from large ‘buds’ on the surface of the parents. These buds may become another single-celled organism very quickly after forming, taking just about 20 minutes.
Lichen: Lichen are dual organisms, meaning that they live in co-existence with another kingdom (symbiosis). How? The tough, shell/body of lichen is made of fungal material, but the internal organs are algae (plant kingdom). This combination is very effective, as the plant may create its own food through photosynthesis, while protected by the fungus. The fungus, meanwhile, because it’s a heterotroph, may absorb nutrients from the ground AND from the algae. But, most of the lichen is fungus as it is classified under the fungi kingdom. Only 5% of the lichen is algae, which supplements the growth. This means that although they may survive forever in almost any ecosystem, they will also take forever to grow.
Rust: Rust is a fungal disease caused by the over-infestation of a local species. Most of these diseases are caused by a genus called Pucciniastrum. These are plant pathogens, and are very harmful.