kingdom Fungi

 

The organisms in kingdom fungi include mushrooms, yeasts, molds, rusts, smuts puffballs, truffles, morels, and molds. The fungi constitute and independent group to that  of plants and animals. They live everywhere in air, in water, on land, in soil, and on or in plants and animals. Fungi appear like plants but are closely related to animals. Fungi are not capable of producing their own food, so they get their nourishment from other sources.

 

 

General characteristics of fungi are as follows:

 

• Fungi are eukaryotic organisms.

• They are non-vascular organisms. 

• They reproduce by means of spores. 

• Depending on the species and conditions both sexual and asexual spores may be produced. 

• They are typically non-motile.

• Fungi exhibit the phenomenon of alteration of generation.

• The vegetative body of the fungi may be unicellular or composed of microscopic threads called hyphae.

•  The structure of cell wall is similar to plants but chemically the fungi cell wall are composed of chitin.

• Fungi are heterotrophic organisms.

• They fungi digest the food first and then ingest the food, to accomplish this the fungi produce exoenzymes. 

• Fungi store their food as starch.

• Biosynthesis of chitin occurs in fungi.

• The nuclei of the fungi is very small.

• During mitosis the nuclear envelope is not dissolved.

• Nutrition in fungi - they are saprophytes, or parasites or symbionts.

• Reproduction in fungi is both by sexual and asexual means. Sexual state is referred to as teleomorph, asexual state is referred to as anamorph.

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                                                 Economic Importance of Fungi

Fungi are important in a variety of ways:

Recycling - Together with bacteria the fungi form a major role in recycling the dead and decayed matter. 

Food - Many mushrooms are used as food by humans. Mushrooms species are edible and are cultured in many parts of the world for sale.

Medicines - Penicillin antibiotic is derived from a common fungi Penicillium. Many other fungi also produces antibiotics, which are used to control diseases in humans and animals.