BSC 2011C Chapter Notes - Chapter 31: Fungi Imperfecti, Haustorium, Mycorrhiza
Document Summary
Fungi diverse and widespread and also essential for the well-being of most ecosystems: break down organic material and recycle nutrients, allowing other organisms to assimilate essential chemical elements. Concept 31. 1: fungi are heterotrophs that feed by absorption: fungi can"t make their own food absorbs nutrients from the environment outside of its body a. i. Secrete hydrolytic enzymes into their surroundings which breaks down complex molecules to smaller compounds that the fungi can absorb a. ii. Diversity of food sources corresponds to the varied roles of fungi in ecological communities a. ii. 1. Different species live as decomposers, parasites, or mutualists a. iii. Most common fungal body structures are multicellular filaments and single cells (yeasts: single cell b. i. Deuteromycetes no sexual reproduction: multicellular c. i. Septa cross-walls that divide the hyphae into cells c. i. 1. a. Generally have pores large enough to allow ribosomes, mitochondria, and even nuclei to flow from cell to cell c. i. 2.
