General Characters of Fungi

Fungi are the eukaryotic, achlorophyllous, and unicellular or multicellular organisms, which may reproduce by asexual and sexual spores.

1. All are eukaryotic – Possess membrane-bound nuclei (containing chromosomes) and a range of membrane-bound cytoplasmic organelles (e.g. mitochondria, vacuoles, endoplasmic reticulum).
2. Most are filamentous – Composed of individual microscopic filaments called hyphae, which exhibit apical growth and which branch to form a network of hyphae called a mycelium.
3. Some are unicellular – e.g. yeasts.
4. Protoplasm of a hypha or cell is surrounded by a rigid wall – Composed primarily of chitin and glucans, although the walls of some species contain cellulose.
5. Many reproduce both sexually and asexually – Both sexual and asexual reproduction often result in the production of spores.
6. Their nuclei are typically haploid and hyphal compartments are often multinucleate – Although the oomycota and some yeast possess diploid nuclei.
7. All are achlorophyllous – They lack chlorophyll pigments and are incapable of photosynthesis.
8. All are chemoheterotrophic (chemo-organotrophic) – They utilise pre-existing organic sources of carbon in their environment and the energy from chemical reactions to synthesize the organic compounds they require for growth and energy.
9. Possess characteristic range of storage compounds – e.g. trehalose, glycogen, sugar alcohols and lipids.
10. May be free-living or may form intimate relationships with other organisms i.e. may be free- living, parasitic or mutualistic (symbiotic).

The body of the fungus is called as ‘thallus’.

The thallus is differentiated into vegetative part, which absorbs nutrients, and a reproductive part, which forms reproductive structure. Such thalli are called as eucarpic. e.g. Pythium aphanidermatum.

The thallus does not show any differentiation on vegetative and reproductive structure. After a phase of vegetative growth, it gets converted into one or more reproductive structures. Such thalli are called as ‘holocarpic’ e.g. yeast, Synchytrium endobioticum

Hyphae is a tubular, transparent filament, usually branched, composed of an outer cell wall and a cavity (lumen) lined or filled with protoplasm including cytoplasm. Hyphae are divided into compartments or cells by cross walls called septa and are generally called as septate (with cross wall) or coenocytic (aseptate -without cross wall). Hyphae of most of the fungi measure 5-10 μm across.

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