LIFESCI 1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 34: Lichen, Plant Cell, Cyanobacteria
Document Summary
Fungi absorb molecules directly through their cell walls. Hyphae permit fungi to explore their environment for food resources. Hyphae: highly branched, multicellular filaments, provide large surface area for absorbing nutrients. When fungi encounter a rich food source, hyphae for a network of branches called mycelium. Cell walls are made of chitin, the same compound found in the exoskeletons of insects. Bulk flow carries materials obtained in a nutrient-rich location so they they can fuel hyphal elongation across nutrient poor locations. Hyphae split into septa: walls that partially divide the cytoplasm into separate cells. Yeasts are single-celled fungi found in moist, nutrient-rich environments. Lack of hyphae is an example of convergent evolution. Fungi are principal decomposers of plant tissues. Fungi can penetrate their food so they are well suited for breaking down the bodies of multicellular organisms, such as tree stems.
