Hellooooo, today i'm here to talk about mycology. (as usual. tsk.) It is actually a fasicinating subject if you are interested.
I'm here today to talk about the structures and lifestyle of the fungi.
Cell wall-
Rigid cell wall provides support for the Protoplasm of the fungal cell. The fungal cell walls are mostly chitin and glucan, while plant cell walls are mostly cellulose, plus liginin in the secondary walls.
Fungi are actually more alike animals than plants. Plants can make their own food through photosynthesis, while fungi cannot do so.
Fungi obtain their food via external digestion. They produce exoenzymes to digest food. They secrete them onto the surface which they are growing to digest their food. The fungi then absorbs the nutrients via the mycelia.
The fungi would then store their food as glycogen, just like animals!
Fungi however, has a lifestyle totally unique to its own kind.
Fungi are not dependent on light, and can occupy dark habitats. They also can grow in any direction. This is unlike animals and plants which require light!
Fungi can also invade the interior of the substrate with absorptive filaments!
Thats it for today, stop complaining! its already over :P
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Hi all ! :D
So far, we've already explained what is fungi and it's characteristics. For today, it'll be a short one - Lifestyle of Fungi.
Fungi have three different lifestyles or ways that they obtain food:
saprobic, parasitic, and mycorrhizal.
Saprobic fungi are decomposers, or recyclers, that live on dead organic material from plants, animals, and other fungi. They can grow on a wide variety of food sources or specialists.
Parasitic fungi use living organisms as a food source, causing some diseases of plants and animals, including Dutch elm disease and ringworm. There are even fungi that attack other fungi like for example, Hypomyces.
Mycorrhizal fungi form beneficial partnerships with plants. The fungal hyphae interact with roots (mycorrhiza = fungus + root) and grow out into the soil, acting as extensions of the plant's root system.
Some fungi even have mixed lifestyles and can switch their eating habits!
Also, fungi are not dependant on light. This means they can occupy and live in dark habitats. This is because they are Heterotrophic. As said in yesterday's post, heterotrophic means that the fungi do not make their own food. This is because they do not have cholorophyll. Thus, fungi must absorb food from others. So, since they do not need the light to make food, they can live in damp and dark places.
That's all for now, we'll talk about more fungi tomorrow ! See you !
So far, we've already explained what is fungi and it's characteristics. For today, it'll be a short one - Lifestyle of Fungi.
Fungi have three different lifestyles or ways that they obtain food:
saprobic, parasitic, and mycorrhizal.
Saprobic fungi are decomposers, or recyclers, that live on dead organic material from plants, animals, and other fungi. They can grow on a wide variety of food sources or specialists.
Parasitic fungi use living organisms as a food source, causing some diseases of plants and animals, including Dutch elm disease and ringworm. There are even fungi that attack other fungi like for example, Hypomyces.
Mycorrhizal fungi form beneficial partnerships with plants. The fungal hyphae interact with roots (mycorrhiza = fungus + root) and grow out into the soil, acting as extensions of the plant's root system.
Some fungi even have mixed lifestyles and can switch their eating habits!
Also, fungi are not dependant on light. This means they can occupy and live in dark habitats. This is because they are Heterotrophic. As said in yesterday's post, heterotrophic means that the fungi do not make their own food. This is because they do not have cholorophyll. Thus, fungi must absorb food from others. So, since they do not need the light to make food, they can live in damp and dark places.
That's all for now, we'll talk about more fungi tomorrow ! See you !
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Hey! Let's look into the characteristics of fungi as promised in the previous entry. To make it simpler, we will state the characteristics in ponit form for clearer understanding...
CHARACTERISTICS OF FUNGI:
1) All are eukaryotic-This means that fungi has nucleus
2) They are heterotrophic-They do not make their own food. Instead, they utilise pre-existing organic sources of carbon in their environment and the energy from chemical reactions to sythesise the organic compounds they require for growth and energy.
3) All are achlorophyllus- They lack chlorophyll pigments and are incapable of photosynthesis.
4) Many reproduce sexully or asexually
5) Some are unicellular- Some are made of one cell only.
So as you can see, Fungi are a special type of species. Unlike plants, they cannot make their own food. They depend on the body of other living things for energy. Stay tuned for the next entry where you will be more exposed mycology! Have a great day! :D
CHARACTERISTICS OF FUNGI:
1) All are eukaryotic-This means that fungi has nucleus
2) They are heterotrophic-They do not make their own food. Instead, they utilise pre-existing organic sources of carbon in their environment and the energy from chemical reactions to sythesise the organic compounds they require for growth and energy.
3) All are achlorophyllus- They lack chlorophyll pigments and are incapable of photosynthesis.
4) Many reproduce sexully or asexually
5) Some are unicellular- Some are made of one cell only.
So as you can see, Fungi are a special type of species. Unlike plants, they cannot make their own food. They depend on the body of other living things for energy. Stay tuned for the next entry where you will be more exposed mycology! Have a great day! :D
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