fungi

• Decomposers such as apples are a part of the fifth year Biology Ms Greene's class.
• Sporangiophore are hyphae that grow up from the surface of the substrate.
• Sporangium is a swelling at the tip of a sporangiophore containing spores, which divide by mitosis.
• Spores are small, black, light, asexual reproductive structures that can be carried by wind.
• Columella is a cross wall pushing up into a sporangium from below, separating spores from sporangiophore.
• Apophysis is a swelling below a sporangium.
• There are three types of hyphae: Rhizoids, which grow down into bread; Stolon, which grows across the bread; and Sporangiophore, which grows upright into the air.
• Rhizopus sexual reproduction involves the formation of tough, resistant zygospores.
• There are no male and female mycelia in Rhizopus, but there are two strains that are structurally identical but chemically different, referred to as the positive (+) strain and the negative (–) strain.
• In Rhizopus sexual reproduction, hyphae from opposite strains grow close together, forming swellings that touch, and nuclei move into each swelling, forming progametangia.
• Cross walls form to produce gametangia in Rhizopus sexual reproduction, and the walls between the gametangia dissolve.
• Many fertilizations produce a number of diploid nuclei in Rhizopus sexual reproduction.
• A tough walled black zygospore forms around these nuclei in Rhizopus sexual reproduction.
• The zygospore can remain dormant for months in Rhizopus sexual reproduction.
• In Rhizopus, meiosis occurs at the germination of the zygospore, producing a haploid hypha that grows and produces a sporangium.
• Nuclei in the sporangium form spores by mitosis in Rhizopus sexual reproduction.
• On release, the spores produce new hyphae and mycelia in Rhizopus sexual reproduction.
• In most organisms, meiosis is associated with the formation of haploid gametes prior to fertilisation, but in Rhizopus the parent organisms are already haploid, so meiosis is not used in the production of the gametangia.
• To restore the chromosome number of the offspring, meiosis occurs at the germination of the zygospore in Rhizopus.
• Rhizopus respires anaerobically, breaking down sugars, producing ethanol and C02.
• Rhizopus has one nucleus, a large central vacuole, dense grainy cytoplasm, and no variation.
• Advantages of Rhizopus include quick respiration, no variation, and characteristics maintained.
• Disadvantages of Rhizopus include overcrowding, no variation, and increased competition.
• fungi are heterotrophic, meaning they cannot make their own food