BIO 124 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Decomposer, British Mycological Society, Mycorrhiza
21 Mar 2016
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Document Summary
Includes the protists and the classic kingdoms fungi and animalia. Fungal evolution and diversity: oldest (undisputed) fossil fungi are 460 million years old, but some fossilized cells that are fungus-like date back to. 1. 4 billion years old: largely aquatic in the most ancient forms, and appear to have colonized the land with plants, around 100000 species described, but estimates of up to. 1. 5 million possible species: different heterotrophic lifestyles. Characteristics of fungi: unique cell-wall composed of the polysaccharide chitin, mycelium body region that is composed of microscopic branched filaments known as hyphae. These structures evolved even before the transition to land: heterotrophic lifestyle. All must derive food from the external environment: absorptive nutrition. Secrete enzymes that break down complex organic molecules. Cannot engulf food particles: fruiting body. Reproductive structure that emerges from the substrate. Reproductive cells that enable dispersal and colonization of new substrates.
