Fungi Characteristics, Classifications and Ecology

Being eukaryotes, a typical fungal cell contains a true nucleus and many membrane-bound organelles. The kingdom Fungi includes an enormous variety of living organisms collectively referred to as Eumycota, or true Fungi. While scientists have identified about 100,000 species of fungi, this is only a fraction of the 1.5 million species of fungus likely present on Earth. This pathway provides an in-depth look at characteristics of fungi, classifications of fungi, ecology of fungi, fungal parasites and pathogens, and importance of fungi in human life. The pathway also provides vocabulary support for these topics, as well as opportunities for learners to self-assess their understanding by analyzing figures and answering questions.

Topics

  • arbuscular mycorrhiza
  • Arbuscular mycorrhizae
  • ascocarp
  • Ascomycota
  • basidiocarp
  • Basidiomycota
  • basidium
  • Chytridiomycota
  • coenocytic hypha
  • commensalism
  • Deuteromycota
  • ectomycorrhiza
  • Ectomycorrhizae
  • facultative anaerobes
  • Glomeromycota
  • haustoria
  • heterothallic
  • homothallic
  • hypha
  • karyogamy
  • lichen
  • mold
  • mycelium
  • mycetismus
  • mycology
  • mycorrhiza
  • mycorrhizae
  • mycosis
  • mycotoxicosis
  • obligate aerobes
  • obligate anaerobes
  • parasitism
  • plasmogamy
  • saprobe
  • septa
  • soredia
  • sporangium
  • spore
  • thallus
  • yeast
  • Zygomycota
  • zygospore