Classified Kingdoms/Fungi

How are Fungi different from other Kingdoms?

See below for the information.

Cell Structure

• Fungi has a nucleaus
• Fungi has a rigid cell wall that is made of chitin, and inside the chitin, is the plasma memberane, which regulates the flow of substances
• Fungi can be one celled or many celled
• They have a filamentous cell structure that is essentially undifferentiated
• The Fungi are all heterotrophic.

These are the reasons they are included in their own kingdom, having a cell wall made out of chitin. The Fungi cells are different from other cells.

Habitat

In damp and moist areas and environments.

Some examples are:

• The ground
• The trees
• The rocks
• The forests

and very moist environments.

Fun Facts on Fungi

Fungi can also be located in your garden and backyards. Some even stick on people, fungi sticking on your feet is called athlete's foot.

Picture or physical description (include color)

• Moldy looking, most Fungi is unpleasant to look at. Fungi

Food

Fungi absorb nutrients from living or dead organic matter (plant or animal stuff) that they grow on. They absorb simple, easily dissolved nutrients, such as sugars, through their cell walls. They give off special digestive enzymes to break down complex nutrients into simpler forms that they can absorb.

Reproductive Cycle

1. Germination

A fungal spore is a singal cell. Then, if suitable, it germinates to begin vegetative growth.

1. Vegetative Growth

Yeasts (A common fungus) grow vegetatively by budding, where in "daughter" cells bud from "mother" cells.

1. Sporulation

When conditions are right, spore producing structures develop from the vegetative phase. Spores are released into the environment to begin the life cycle again.

1. Asexual Reproduction

Many fungi, especially molds, are capable of generating spores without mating. These spores are produced by mitosis, creating individuals identical to the parent.

1. Sexual Reproduction

Sexual reproduction and meiosis can occur between compatible individual. Meiotic spores are genetically variable, possessing traits from both parents.

1. Fragmentation

Some fungi have lost the ability to produce spores. These species reproduce by disseminating hyphae that are easily fragmented and carried away.

Asexual Reproduction

Users who have participated in this project may be confused between Asexual and Sexual. According to EDinformatics, asexual reproduction in the Fungi Kingdom is reproduction without sex, making an educated guess, Sexual Reproduction is reproduction with sex between two Fungi cells.

Now, getting back on track. Asexual Reproduction is, mentioned before, without sex. This reproduction occurs when a single Fungi cells makes a copy of itself, these are known as clones. So, these may bond together, we will now talk about differents type of Asexual reproduction

Importance for Humans

• Some of the Fungi have great flavors, which are added on food. So we eat fungi. An example of this is Fungi keeps cheese tangy and sharp.
• Chemicals that fight diseases.
• Takes chemicals from decaying organisms and reuses them.

Enemies of Humans

• Unfortunately, the Fungi Kingdom has organisms that harm people.
• Some Fungi are poisonous
• Some fungi give people itchy diseases, such as Athlete's Foot.
• Some Fungi spoil food and make you sick
• Some Fungi coat bathroom tiles, make your bathroom un pleasant looking.

In the autumn of 1997, one kind of fungus was responsible for the shutting down of a library in Staten Island. The fungus, which was around the basement made people cough and sneeze like they had the flu.