BIO SCI 94 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Cyanobacteria, Karyogamy, Plasmogamy

• School: UC-Irvine
• Department: Biological Sciences
• Course: BIO SCI 94
• Professor: Robin Bush

Document Summary

Fungi comprise a diverse group of (mostly) multicellular eukaryotes. Fungi feed by absorbing nutrients from living or dead organisms. Those that feed on dead organisms are the world"s most important decomposers. Have unique ability to absorb the cellulose and lignin that comprise wood. Multicellular fungi have weblike bodies called mycelia. Hyphae: one of long, branching strands of fungal mycelium (multicellular fungal organism) Because the hyphae are long and skinny, mycelia have a higher surface-to- volume-ratio than a round cell of the same volume and thus they can absorb nutrients from their environment more efficiently. We have a vascular system (veins and arteries) for transporting liquids through our bodies. The vascular plants have such a system as well (tracheids and vessel elements) Hyphae are divided into compartments by septae (gaps). The septae allow water, nutrients, and even organelles such as nuclei to flow from one compartment to the next. Some fungi are coenocytic, which means that they lack septae.