Fungi


 * The Wonderful Kingdom of Fungi, Where we put the “Fun” in Fungus**
 * They are often mistaken for nonphotosynthetic plants, but they are much different
 * Fungi are eukaryotic heterotrophs that have cell walls
 * They rely on other organisms to provide them with energy and nutrients
 * Unlike other heterotrophs, they digest their food on the outside and absorb the nutrients they need



**Structure**
 * All fungi are multicellular, except for yeasts
 * Hyphae are the filaments that that make up multicellular fungi
 * In some fungi the hypha have cross walls that separate the hyphae into separate cells, which allow cytoplasm and nuclei to flow through.
 * The others do not have cross walls and contain many nuclei


 * **Reproduction**
 * Fungi can reproduce sexually and asexually
 * Asexual reproduction occurs when cells from on fungus break off and begin to live on their own.
 * For sexual reproduction they produce sporangia which release spores that combine to create a new fungus.
 * When the two different spores meet and combine, it is called a gametangium.
 * The only time when a fungus is diploid is when it is reproducing.

**Heterotrophs**


 * Some fungi act as decomposers that recyle nutrients by breaking down the remains of other organisms
 * Other fungi are parasitic and can harm a plant or animal host
 * An example of this is athlete’s foot, which affects the outer layers of the human epidermis.
 * Other fungi create symbiotic relationships with their host
 * Two examples of this are lichens and Mycorrhizae, which both form mutualistic relationships with plant hosts.