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1800-102-2727What comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘fungi’? Most likely it reminds you of the white cottony thing that grows on rotten bread or fruits. Did you know that even the delicious mushrooms that we eat are members of the kingdom Fungi? You must be intrigued to know the basic features that define an organism as a fungi. Come let’s jump right into it.
Most fungi are terrestrial while few inhabit aquatic ecosystems. They generally grow in warm and humid places. Terrestrial fungi are further distinguished as:
They are generally multicellular except for yeast, which is unicellular. They possess a cell wall, made up of chitin (a polysaccharide), except members of class oomycetes which have a cell wall made up of cellulose. They are achlorophyllous and hence heterotrophic in nature. They store food in the form of glycogen and oil bodies.
The bodies of multicellular fungi are composed of long, tubular, filamentous structures called hyphae which form a mass known as mycelium. Hyphae are of two types:
Heterotrophic nutrition in fungi can be of three different types -
Q1. You are given a slide with the smear of an unknown sample. Under the microscope the smear appears to have a network of long, tubular, filamentous structures. The unknown sample might be derived from a
Solution: The bodies of multicellular fungi are composed of long, tubular, filamentous structures which are known as hyphae. Many hyphae together form a mass known as the mycelium.
Thus, the correct option is b.
Q2. A farmer saw that his wheat crop was dying due to the growth of a pathogenic fungus on the plant. Based on this information, what do you think is the mode of nutrition of the fungus?
Solution: Fungi which are plant pathogens are parasitic in nature and derive nutrition from the living plant hosts. Thus, the fungus which is causing the death of the farmer’s crop can be concluded to have a parasitic mode of nutrition.
Thus, the correct option is c.
Q3. Match the following and choose the correct option.
Column I (Name of fungi) |
Column II (Habitat) |
A. Epixylic |
I. Bark |
B. Coprophilous |
II. Dung |
C. Corticolous |
III. Wood |
Solution: Based on their habitat, terrestrial fungi can be classified as -
Column I (Name of fungi) |
Column II (Habitat) |
A. Epixylic |
III. Wood |
B. Coprophilous |
II. Dung |
C. Corticolous |
I. Bark |
Thus, the correct option is b.
Q4. Choose the incorrect statement about fungi.
Solution: Fungi are achlorophyllous, heterotrophic, eukaryotic organisms which can be unicellular like yeast or multicellular like molds and mushrooms.
Most fungi have a cell wall primarily composed of chitin and polysaccharides. Only fungi belonging to class Oomycetes have a purely cellulosic cell wall.
Thus, the correct option is c.
Question 1: What are the five characteristics of fungi?
Answer. The five characteristics of fungi are -
Question 2: What are the different modes of nutrition in fungi?
Answer. Fungi do not possess chlorophyll and are hence not autotrophic in nature. Heterotrophic nutrition in fungi can be achieved by three different modes -
Question 3: What is a hypha?
Answer. The bodies of multicellular fungi are composed of long, tubular, filamentous structures called hyphae. Hyphae are of two types:
Question 4: Are fungi plants or animals?
Answer. Fungi are classified as a separate and individual kingdom in the five kingdom classification given by Whittaker as they are unique and different from both plants and animals. However, they share similarities to both plants and animals. Like plants they have cells bound by cell walls but the primary cell wall component is chitin and not cellulose. Like animals, they are achlorophyllous and heterotrophic and store food in the form of glycogen.