Bio-Fungi

anulus

ring of fleshy material left surrounding the stalk of a mushroom after the cap pulls away from the stipe.

antheridium

a globe-shaped structure produced in the male strain of the Ascomycota fungi when the male and female strains meet at the onset of sexual reproduction.

antibiotic

substance which kills or inhibits the growth of organisms such as bacteria.

asci

plural of ascus.

ascogonium

globe-shaped structure produced in the female strain of the Ascomycota fungi when the male and female strains meet at the onset of sexual reproduction.

Ascomycota (ascomycetes)

the "sac fungi," which are characterized by the sac-like asci produced during sexual reproduction.

ascospore

the spore produced as a result of sexual reproduction in the Ascomycota.

ascus

sac-like structure formed during sexual reproduction which houses the ascospores in the Ascomycota fungi.

asexual reproduction

form of reproduction in which all the offspring come from one parent or parent cell.

athlete's foot

an infection in the skin of the foot caused by the deuteromycete fungus Tinea.

autotroph

an organism which is capable of producing its own nutrients for survival. Generally, this is done by creating organic nutrients from inorganic materials.

Basidiomycota (basidiomycetes)

the "club fungi," characterized by the club-shaped basidia produced during sexual reproduction.

basidia

club-shaped structures in basidiomycetes which are formed during sexual reproduction and in which the spores are produced.

basidium

singular form of basidia.

basidiospores

spores produced during sexual reproduction in the Basidiomycota. The basidiospores generally sit on the club-shaped basidia before they are released.

budding

form of asexual reproduction in yeasts which results in the unequal division of a single cell into two new cells.

button

tightly packed cluster of hyphae in the secondary mycelium of sexually reproducing basidiomycetes. A button eventually extends above ground to become a mushroom.

cap

large, rounded top portion of a mushroom. The cap is comprised of tightly packed hyphae.

chitin

chemical substance found in the cell walls of most fungi, and the hard exoskeleton of arthropods such as insects, spiders, and crabs.

conidia

spores produced during asexual reproduction in the ascomycota which sit in chains at the top of conidiophores.

conidiophores

specialized hyphae formed during asexual reproduction in the ascomycota which extend above the surface and support the conidia.

conjugation

mode of sexual reproduction employed in the zygomycota; also, a transferring of genetic material between bacteria.

decomposer

organism which breaks down and decays certain dead and dying organic materials.

Deuteromycota (deuteromycetes)

the "imperfect fungi," which are characterized by the lack of an observed sexual reproductive stage.

diploid

condition in which a nucleus has two copies of each chromosome.

enzyme

compound which catalyzes a reaction. In fungi, digestive enzymes break down food sources outside of cells.

ergot

structure formed on grains such as wheat and rye when infected with the fungus Claviceps purpurea. When humans eat ergot infected rye they experience burning sensations and hallucinations.

eukaryote

cell or organism possesing a true membrane-bound nucleus.

extracellular digestion

process in which materials are broken down and digested outside of cells.

Fleming, Sir Alexander

microbiologist who, in 1929, discovered the bacteria killing properties of the fungus Penicillium. This discovery led to the development of the first antibiotic - penicillin.

fragmentation

a form of asexual reproduction in which pieces of the fungal hyphae are torn off and are capable of growing into new hyphae.

fruiting body

sexual reproductive structure produced in the Ascomycota and the Basidiomycota. When we eat fungi we generally eat the fruiting body portion.

gametangia

structures which house haploid nuclei or cells.

gametes

haploid nuclei or cells which develop into diploid zygotes during sexual reproduction.

germination

growth of a new organism from a seed, spore, or some other dormant state.

gills

tightly-packed hyphae which form the underside of the cap in mushrooms. Within the gills the basidia and basidiospores are produced.

haploid

condition in which a nucleus has only one copy of each chromosome.

heterotroph

an organism which is incapable of producing its own nutrients. Heterotrophs rely on consumption of organic material for survival.

hyphae

the slender, tube-shaped filamentous structures that contain individual cells in multicellular fungi.

hyphus

singular form of hyphae.

lichen

a mutualism between algae and fungi in which the fungi provide support and minerals for the algae, and the algae produce nutrients used by the fungi.

lichenologist

person who studies lichens.

meiosis

form of cell division in which the nuclear material is doubled, and then partitioned into four new cells. Each new cell contains one-half the number of chromosomes found in the original cell.

minus strain

a strain of haploid fungi that, when it touches a plus strain of the same species, will undergo sexual reproduction.

mitosis

form of cell division in which the nuclear material is first doubled, and then gets partitioned into two new cells. Each new cell has the same number of chromosomes as the original cell.

mold

an asexually reproducing fungus.

morel

an ascomycete fungus which looks similar to mushrooms, but has a spongylooking top, and is used in gourmet cooking.

mutualism

a symbiosis between two organisms in which both organisms benefit from the relationship.

mycelium

network of intertwined fungal hyphae. The mycelium is usually found under the surface of whatever the fungus is living on.

mycelia

plural of mycelium.

mycologist

someone who studies fungi.

mycorrhizae

the mutualistic relationship between a fungus and plant roots in which the fungus brings minerals and nutrients close to the plant roots in exchange for organic nutrients it derives from the roots.

parasite

an organism which obtains nutrients from another organism, thereby depriving the other organism of essential nutrients.

parasitism

a symbiosis between two organisms in which only one organism benefits from the relationship while the other organism is harmed.

penicillin

an antibiotic isolated from the deuteromycete fungus Penicillium.

Pencillium

a deuteromycete fungus which is important in producing penecillin and
various cheeses.

plus strain

a strain of haploid fungi that, when it touches a minus strain of the same species , will undergo sexual reproduction.

primary producer

an organism, such as a plant, which is the first link in the food chain, and provides food for other living organisms.

puffballs

Basidiomycete fungi which form large globular fruiting bodies that appear above ground during sexual reproduction.

rhizoids

Hyphae which grow downward similar to the roots in a plant, and secrete digestive enzymes.

Rhizopus stolonifer

zygomycete fungus commonly seen growing as mold on bread.

rusts

Basidiomycete fungi which are responsible for causing diseases in plants.

saprophyte

an organism which obtains its nutrients from dead and decaying material.

secondary mycelium

the mycelium which forms in sexually reproducing basidiomycetes after two different strains of hyphae come together.

septa

walls which divide two areas. In fungi porous septa are found inside of the hyphae and function to partition the hyphae into cell-like compartments.

sexual reproduction

A form of reproduction in which offspring come from two parents or parent cells.

shelf fungi

Basidiomycete fungi which are often seen as parasites growing on trees.

smuts

Basidiomycete fungi responsible for causing diseases in plants.

sporangia

specialized structuries in the Zygomycota which form during asexual reproduction and contain spores.

sporangiophores

specialized hyphae in the Zygomycota that form during asexual reproduction and support the sporangia which contain spores.

spore

a cell which is capable of germinating when conditions are favorable.

stalk

the elongate portion of a mushroom which extends upward from the ground. The stalk/stipe consists of tightly packed hyphae.

staphylococci

clusters of sphere-shaped bacteria.

stipe

a stalk

stolons

Hyphae which grow horizontally at or just below the surface of whatever a fungus is growing in.

symbiosis

a relationship in which two different organisms live together.

Tinea

the deuteromycete fungus which can cause diseases such as athlete's foot in humans.

truffle

an ascomycete fungus which is dug out of the ground by trained pigs and dogs, and is highly prized in gourmet cooking.

yeast

single-celled fungi used for baking bread, brewing beer and in wine producing. Yeasts are also used in many other industrial processes and genetics research.

Zygomycota (zygomycetes)

the "conjugation fungi" characterized by a sexual reproductive stage in which a zygospore is produced.

zygospore

structure which houses diploid zygote nuclei in the zygomycota and is capable of withstanding unfavorable environmental conditions.