All Fungi Are Not the Same Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

All Fungi Are Not the Same - Essay Example Basidiomycota phylum develops through sexual means. Basidiospores are formed on club-shaped structures known as basidia. A terminal hyphal cell produces spores called basidium. In this phylum, asexual reproduction occurs, but occasionally. Some of its typical examples include the mushrooms rusts and toadstools. The Zygomycota phylum develops by both sexual and asexual means. They have thallus, which is composed of hyphae, which elongates through the growth of a tip. Multinucleate hyphae do not have septa except for the reproductive structures. When hyphae fuse, this directly leads to the formation of a zygote. In the process of zygote formation, meiosis occurs shortly before it germinates. The typical examples of the phylum include the Rhizopus commonly referred to as the black bread mold. As Vandenkoornhuyse, et al. (2002) observes, generally, fungi are eukaryotic organisms that are neither plants nor animals. As heterotrophic organisms that are devoid of chlorophyll, they obtain their nutrients through absorption. Glycogen is the primary carbohydrate stored in fungi. Fungi excrete enzymes into their food source and live within an external digestion. Ascomycota live in specific locations often forming symbiotic relationships with plant roots, stems, leaves and algae to obtain nutrients. Basidiomycota are mutualistic symbionts and obtain nutrients from living hosts, roots, vascular plants and insects. They obtain sugars and nutrients produced through photosynthesis. Zygomycota makes use of light regulation for its development and growth. Light directs the growth of structures and activates the metabolic pathways. Zygomycetes grow in a wide range of environments and temperatures, with some growing in aerobic conditions. However, most are terrestrial meaning that they g row in liquid culture, at salty concentrations and high water activities to obtain nutrients. They can also be found in decaying animal and