Transcript Protists versus Fungi - Biology with Mrs. Flores

Protists & Fungi
Although slime molds like this are no
longer classified as fungi (they were
recently reclassified as a type of protist),
they produce spores in a similar way to
fungi. The pink sacs seen here are
called sporangia, or they places where
the spores are produced.
Photography by Paul Zahl
On the following slides, the orange sections identify
the main points; Underlined words = vocabulary!
Hyperlinks are in yellow.
Kingdom Protista [AKA Protists]
 The kingdom Protista is
probably the most
diverse group of
organisms on the planet.
 Some are microscopic
and others grow to be
meters long.
 Some act like animals,
while some act like
plants.
 Some are poisonous
and others are
parasitic.
 Video
This protist Trichonympha lives in
the gut of termites to digest the
cellulose of wood. Image
A fisher gathers up algae to remove it from the water in
Qingdao on July 6. The North China Sea Marine
Forecasting Center recently predicted the thick masses of
algae would continue spreading north, according to
Xinhua. Photograph from ChinaFotoPress
What is a protist?
 Key Characteristics:
 Eukaryotic [w/ nuclei, mitochondria, and other
organelles]
 Uni and Multicellular
 Forms of Movement
What is a protist? Cont.
 Types
 Plant-like protists photosynthesize [autotrophic]
 Animal-like protists [heterotrophic]
 Fungi-like protists decompose [heterotrophic]
Image
Image
Image
From “Top Ten
Weirdest Stories of
2012” – Video
The living slime that
may have been the
muse for the 1958
science-fiction film The
Blob just got creepier:
In October, scientists
reported that slime
mold, a brainless
single-celled organism,
has a form of memory.
Photograph by Audrey
Dussutour
Diseases Caused by Protists
 Some protists cause disease, like sporozoans
and have no structure for movement because
they are parasitic; they are more complex
and usually include multiple hosts.
 EX Plasmodium - causes malaria and infects both
mosquitoes and humans.
 EX Amebic dysentery (Giardia) from infected water will cause
severe diarrhea, nausea and fatigue; attaches to the host's
intestinal lining. Video
There are estimates that there may be as many
as 2.5 million cases each year of Giardia
intestinalis in the US alone(6). A single-celled
protozoa, the parasite also poses a serious
threat abroad, and exists at very high
prevalence rates particularly in places with
poor water sanitation. Image
Protists in the Biosphere
 Take a deep breath! Thank a protist! Phytoplankton are
microscopic protists that float near the surface of
oceans and lakes and carry out photosynthesis.
 Video
Image
Kingdom Fungi
 Although previously
classified with
plants, but they fungi
are NOT autotrophs.
 Fungi Photography
 Video
Laetiporus sulphureus
Photograph by Dan Molter
What is a fungus?
 Mycology = the study of Fungi
 Fungus – singular
 Fungi – plural
 Key Characteristics:
 Eukaryotic
 Heterotrophs [decomposing “feeders”]
 Uni Multicellular
 Typically cannot move [AKA sessile] their own
How are fungi different from plants?
 4 Reasons:
 Lack chlorophyll [the green pigment in chloroplasts],
therefore they are NOT photosynthetic
 Most are saphrophytes [“feeds” on dead or decaying
matter]
 Some are parasites - Video
 Never reproduce by seeds
 Most have cell walls of chitin, except molds [NOT
cellulose like plants]
What is a fungus? Cont.
 Types
 Chytrids – primitive fungi, typically aquatic with flagella
Image
Image
What is a fungus? Cont.
 Types
 Sac Fungi – include morels and truffles used in
cooking plus yeast, which makes bread rise
Image
Image
What is a fungus? Cont.
 Types
 Bread Molds – found on spoiled food and within the
soil to assist plants
Image
Image
What is a fungus? Cont.
 Types
 Club Fungi– creates above ground fruiting body to
reproduce; EX mushrooms, puffballs, shelf fungi, etc.
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Diseases Caused by Fungi
 Plant pathogens - Fungal diseases are estimated
to be responsible for between 15 to 50% of the
world’s crop loss.
 EX black stem rust [infects wheat, rice ], corn smut,
and ergot [Salem Witch Trials Video]
http://www.ovex.co.uk/Images/ringworm.jpg
 Human pathogens
 The microorganism Candida albicans is responsible for
ringworm, athletes foot, and yeast infections of the
female reproductive tract.
Fungi in the Biosphere
 Fungi are important in the fact that they recycle
materials back into the soil to replenish it for other
organisms; as decomposers they are essential
elements in the ecosystems of Earth.
http://content63.eol.org/content/2011/11/03/02/57753_orig.jpg