Fungi Classifications

Fungi grow best in areas where there is warmth and moisture. They are found living on and inside other organisms, on various surfaces, and in the soil. Although some fungi are parasites, a lot of fungi are considered saprophytes, which are organisms that get their nourishment from the remains of dead organisms. This is why fungi tend to grow in places where there tends to be lots of debris.

There are a few characteristics that all classes of fungi have in common.

  • Lack chlrophyll.
  • Cannot photosynthesize and must get food from other organisms.
  • Some have cell walls made of chitin; others have cell walls made of cellulose.
  • Usually reproduce by spores.

The kingdom fungi are much different than other living organisms. They are usually made of branching, threadlike, structures called hyphae. Some have cross walls dividing the cells while others have no dividing cell walls and look like long tubes. These hyphae all grow together to form a mycelium. This can grow into a thick twisted mass, such as bread mold. Other fungi, like mushrooms, produces a stalk.

Spores are tiny reproductive cells that row into new fungi. They are the means of reproduction for fungi and can be formed sexually or asexually. One of the ways fungi are classified is by what type of spore-producing structures they have.

Here are three fung classifications based on the spore producing structure of fungi.

Filamentous Fungi

bread mold
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Characteristics

  • Spore produced in ball-shaped structures at the ends of certain hyphae.
  • Hyphae grow as filaments, or fine threads, that form puffy masses.
  • Parasitic or saprophytic.

Importance

  • Decomposers in soil.
  • Cause disease.
  • Spoil food.

Examples: Bread mold and downy mildew.

Sac Fungi

powdery mildew
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Characteristics

  • Spores produced in sacs.
  • Reproduce by budding, in which a new organism develops from an outgrowth of the parent (cell).
  • Parasitic or saprophytic.

Importance

  • Cause athelete's foot and ringworm.
  • Cause Dutch elm disease.
  • The source of penicillin, an antibiotic used to kill disease-causing bacteria.
  • Used to make bread and alcohol.

Examples: yeast, morel, and powdery mildew

Club Fungi

mushroom
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Characteristics

  • Spores produced on a club-shaped structure.
  • Hyphae form extensive underground growths; the hyphae abover ground form the reproductive structure.
  • Mushroom consists of three parts: stalk, cap, gills.

Importance

  • Parasitic on grain crops.
  • Used for food.
  • Used to produce drugs and medicines.
  • Rot wood.

Examples: mushrooms and toadstools.

What did the girl mushroom say to the guy mushroom after their date?

You're such a fungi!

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