i s t u d y .

p k / B a t r a c h o s p e r m u m | 105

These spores liberate and develop chantransia stage again. The terminal cells of the lower
branches of chantransia give rise to adult plant. It is generally believed that chantransia
filament forms the prostate system and filament proper form the erect system.
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MCQs:
1. Laminarin is an energy storage material characteristics of
a) Chlorophyta b) chrysophyta c)phaeophyta d) pyrrophyta
2. Chlamydomonas and Volvox are similar because
a) Both are motile b) members of chlorophyta c) both a and b
3. Which group of algae donot produce motile flagellated cells in any member?
a) Chlorophyta b) phaeophyta c) Rhodophyta d) Chrysophyta
4. Floridean starch is energy storage material characteristic of
a) Chlorophyta b) Chrysophyta c)Phaeophyta d) Rhodophyta
5. Body of the algae is
a) Mycelium b) plasmodium c) pseudoplasmodium d) Thallus
6. Agar which is used as bacterial culture media is part of the cell wall of
a) Chlorophyta b) Chrysophyta c)Phaeophyta d) Rhodophyta
7. Kelps are algae found in
a) Chlorophyta b) Chrysophyta c)Phaeophyta d) Rhodophyta
8. Frustules are impregnated with silica are the characteristics of
a) euglenoids b) diatoms c) desmids d) seaweeds
9. Chrysolaminarin is reserve food material in
a) Chlorophyta b) Chrysophyta c)Phaeophyta d) Rhodophyta
10. Which of the following is most advance group of algae
a) Chlorophyta b) Chrysophyta c)Phaeophyta d) Rhodophyta
11.Plants which are not differentiated into roots, stem and leaves are grouped under
a) Gymnosperms b) Pteridophytes c) Thallophytes d) Spermatophytes
12. Which are the most primitive group of algae
a) Blue green algae b) Red algae c)Brown algae d) Green algae
13. Algae differ from Riccia ana Marchantia in having
a) Multicellular body b) Multicellular sex organs c) Pyrenoids in the cell d) Thalloid body
14. Heterocysts are
a) Green and thin walled b) Green and thick walled
c) Colourless and thin walled d) Colourless and thick walled
15. Zygotic meiosis is a characteristic feature of
a) Algae b) Bryophytes c) Pteridophytes d) Gymnosperms

1-C 2-C 3-C 4-D 5-D 6-D 7-C 8-B 9-B 10-D
11-C 12-A 13-C 14-D 15-A
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5
FUNGI
(Absorptive Thallophytes)

Syllabus B.S.
Fungi (Mucor, Penicillium, Phyllactinia, Ustilago, Puccinia, Agaricus), their
implication on crop production and industrial applications.
e) Lichens (Physcia).

Syllabus A.D.S. / B.Sc.

(a)General structure, life cycle, classification with specific examples: (i)
Plasmodiophoromycota Plasmodiophora (ii) Oomycota Pythium (iii)
Ascomycota Penicillium. Saccharomyces. Alternaria (iv) Basidomycota
Ustilago, Puccinia and Agaricus
(b) Role of fungi in agriculture, diseases of major economic crop
Plants: rusts smuts, downy and powdery mildews, damping off, root rots food
and industry
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FUNGI
Several characters are used to unite and define fungi
1. The fungi are a diverse group of generally microscopic, eukaryotic, usually filamentous,
branched, spore bearing organism that lack chlorophyll.
2. They have cell walls that contain chitin (with one exception- oomycetes have cell
walls composed to glucans and cellulose)
3. They may be unicellular or multicellular
4. The lack complex body and organs
Study of fungi is called mycology from Greek Mykes. The first mycologist was an Italian Pier
Antonio Michell, who published his research in 1729 entitled Nova Plantarum Genera.
OCCURRENCE OF FUNGI
Fungi are found in variety of habitats such as in water, soil, dead organic matter. Fungi are
heterotrophic. Therefore, they get their food from different sources.
Saprophytes: They obtain their food from dead organic matter. They decompose the
organic matter with the help of hydrolytic enzymes and absorb nutrients.
Coprophilous: fungi that grow on animal dung.
Parasites: They live on their host and get their food from them
Symbionts (Mutualista): Fungi develop peaceful
relationship with other organism, mycorrhizae and lichens.
GENERAL STRUCTURE
The body of fungus is called mycelium. It is composed of
minute, thread like structure hyphae. The hyphae may be
asptate or nonseptate, if cross wall or septa between the
cells are absent. If septa are present the hyphae is called
septate.
CELL STRUCTURE
Fungi are eukaryotes, the protoplast of hyphae has cytoplasm and nuclei. So their nuclei
have nuclear membrane and chromatin network. Hyphae containing many nuclei are
called coenocytic.
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Cell wall is composed of chitin, also made up of cellulose in lower fungi.

The reserve food material is glycogen or oil droplets. The individual cell may be uninucleate
or multinucleate. A vacuole is present in the centre of cytoplasm in older hyphae.
Mitosis: In fungi special type of mitosis takes place called nuclear mitosis in which the
chrosomal doubling and separation. After that the nuclei split into two
MYCELIUM AND TISSUES IN FUNGI
The hyphae may be organized into following special structures.
Sporophores: Sometimes, hyphae organized to form fruiting bodies. These fruiting bodies
are called sporophores.
Plectenchyma: It is a compact mass of hyphae.
Prosenechyma: The tissues with distinct hyphae.
Pseudoparenchyma: If individual hyphae lose their shape and become isodiametric.
Stromata: Very hard fungal tissues with fruiting bodies.
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Sclerotium: A mass of hard fungal tissues without fruiting bodies. Sclerotia are formed for
passing over unfavourable periods. These structures germinate to form new mycelium in
favourable conditions.
Rhizomorphs: Rope like strand of hyphae called rhizomorphs. They form fruiting bodies.
Appressoria: these are simple or lobed structures. These arise from germ tube.

NUTRITION IN FUNGI
Fungi lake chlorophyll therefore unable to manufacture their own food. They may be
saprophytes parasites or symbionts.
Saprotrophs
They live on dead organic matter. They have absorb food from the substratum by sending
hyphae called rhizoids. Mucor, Rhizopus etc.
Parasites
They live on a variety of living organisms called host. They absorb food material from the
living tissues through specialized hyphae called haustoria.
There are two types of parasites ectoparasites their mycelium remains outside the host and
absorb food by sending haustoria into the body of host, e.g., Erysiphe
Endoparasites their mycelium is present inside the host.
Facultative parasites these are the parasites which can live as saprotrophs
Obligate parasites cannot live without their host
Symbionts: Some fungi form association with other organisms such as Mutualism is the
symbiosis in which both are organisms get benefit
Lichens are symbiotic association between fungi and algae the fungal partner provide shelter
and absorb moisture where is the algal partner synthesized the food material.
Mycorrhiza is the association between roots of higher plants and fungi. The hyphae help
absorption of water and minerals and in return get food & protection from the plants.
Predacious fungi. They trap small animals such as rutifera, protozoans by their many animal
tracking devices for capturing the animals.
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REPRODUCTION
Reproduction in fungi may be vegetative, asexual or sexual.
VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION
i) Fragmentation: A small part of hyphae of fungi can produce complete mycelium.
ii) Death of older parts: Sometimes, some parts of the fungi decompose. The remaining
part develops new mycelium.
iii) Budding: Small outgrowth appears on mother cell, get separated and develop to new
individual, e.g., yeast.

ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION
Asexual reproduction in fungi takes place through spore formation. It takes place during
favourable conditions. The spores are thick walled and resistant. Following types of spores
are produced in fungi:
Endospore: The spores produced inside the sporangia are called endospores.
Conidia: The naked spores produced at the tip of special hypha called conidiophores.
Chlamydospores: when vegetative cells become thick walled and behave as spores.
Arthrospores or oidia: If hyphae break up into individual cells and act as spores.
Zoospores: Motile spores having flagella are present in some aquatic fungi. Zoospores are
very rare in fungi.
Aplanospores: The non-motile spores of aquatic fungi are called aplanospores.

SEXUAL REPRODUCTION
Gametes are produced and fused during sexual reproduction. Following three phases are
usually takes place.
(i) Plasmogamy: Fusion of cytoplasms of two gametes
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(ii) Karyogamy: Fusion of two haploid nuclei and formation of a diploid or zygotic nucleus
(iii) Meiosis: occurs in diploid zygotic nucleus.
Detail of events of sexual reproduction is different in different fungi
Isogamy:
If the two fusing gametes are similar in structure and mobility. lsogamy occurs in lower aquatic
fungi and some terrestrial higher fungi. These fungi produce motile gametes
in gametangia. These gametes fuse to form zygote.
Anisogamy:
The gametes are morphologicaly dissimilar. Smaller gamete is called microgamete and the
larger gamete is called macrogamete.
Oogamy:
In this case, two gametangia are different in size and shape. The smaller is the male
gametangium. It is called antheridium. The larger is the female gametangium,
the oogonium. The fungi may be homothallic (both sex organs present on same thallus)
or heterothallic (both sex organs are present on different thalli). In case of heterothallic
the hyphae may be + or – strains. The two gametangia come near each other. The contents
of the antheridium are transferred to the oogonium. These contents are transferred by a pore
or by fertilization tube. The contents of the antheridium may be uninucleate or
multinucleate. In multinucleate forms only one nucleus left. All other nuclei disintegrate before
plasmogamy. The contents of the oogonium are called egg or oosphere. This type of
plasmogamy is called oogamy or heterogamy.
MODES OF SEXUAL REPRODUCTION:
Following are ways by which two compatible
nuclei are brought together.
i) Panogametic copulation: Fusion of
naked gametes e.g., Plasmodiophora
ii) Gametangial contact: Two gametangia
of opposite sex come in contact with each
other and male nucleus migrated to female
sex organ by dissolution of wall, e.g., Penicillium
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iii) Gametangial Copulation: The entire contents of one gametangium are transferred
to another through a pore, e.g., Rhizopus
iv) Somatogamy: Sex organs do not develop. Two
somatic hyphae of compatible species fuse with each
other e.g., Morchella
v) Spermatization: A minute spore like structure called
spermatia come in contact with trichogyne. The wall
dissolves this spermatium fuses with egg to form
zygote.

FRUITING BODIES OR SOPOROCARPS

In fungi, the sporocarp (also known as fruiting body) is a multicellular body on which spore-
producing structures, such as basidia or asci are borne.
Different type of fruiting bodies is formed in fungi. Ascocarps (Ascomycota) and
Basidiocarps (basidiomycota) may be formed singly or in groups. Some common forms as
follows: