Question

Describe how fungi reproduce, as well as how they feed; how has their morphology adapted to their mode of nutrition?

Answer 1

Fungus belong to Kingdom Fungi. It is eukaryotic in nature. It is characterized by the presence of elongated tube like cell called as hyphae. These cells associate with each other to form a network like structure called as mycelium. The cell wall of fungus is made up of chitin.

Fungi can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Asexual reproduction is more common in fungus and sexual reproduction is field during unfavourable conditions mostly.

Asexual reproduction takes place by the formation of conidia which are born on elonagted stalk like structure called as conidiophores. These structures are found in Penicillium.

Another type of asexual reproduction seen in fungus is the formation of sporangiospores inside sporangium borne on sporangiophores. These types of structure are found in rhizopus.

Sexual reproduction in fungi involves the participation of cells from two different fungal strains. These cells fuse with each other in two steps, plasmogamy which is the fusion of membranes of the cells and karyogamy which is the fusion of nucleus of the cell. In higher fungus, ascomycota and basidiomycota, the fusion of nucleus does not take place immediately and this results in the formation of two nuclei in a single cell. This is called as dikaryotic stage.

Fungus show heterotrophic type of nutrition because they depend upon other organisms for their nutritional and energy requirements. They show absorptive type of nutrition.

In this type of nutrition, fungus secrete enzymes which breakdown the complex organic food particles into simple inorganic molecules which are then absorbed by the fungal cells.

The morphology of fungal cells is related to their nutritional requirements. The cells are elongated in order to increase the surface area of absorption so that more amount of food material can be absorbed at a given time.

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