General introduction about Fungi

 

Mycology

General introduction about Fungi

Ø “Mykes” in Greek word - Mushroom.
Ø  Mycology is the Study of Fungi.
Ø  Branch of biology deals with fungi and their toxicity or infections to the host.
Ø  The biologist in mycology called “Mycologist”.
Ø  Fungi are eukaryotic, non-vascular and non-motile microorganisms. Fungi nucleus enclosed within the nuclear envelope.
Ø It contains nucleus, cytoplasm, mitochondrion, cell membrane, ribosomes, cell wall and endoplasmic reticulum bound by plasma membrane.
Ø  They are possessing true nucleus. The nucleus is dense, clear with chromatin threads & paired chromosomes and surrounded by nuclear membrane.
Ø  Most fungi are obligate in nature (cannot produce ATP in the absence of oxygen) or facultative aerobes (cannot live in the presence of oxygen).
Ø   It includes, such as yeasts, molds and mushrooms.
Ø  These organisms are classified under kingdom fungi.
Ø  They can be single cell or multi cellular organisms.
Ø  The microscopic structure of fungi generally larger than bacteria and usually are 5-10 micrometer in diameter.
Ø  The fungi are omnipresent.
Ø  They are classified as heterotrophs among the living organisms.
Ø  The fungal cell membranes and Cytoplasmic membrane contain ergosterol.
Ø  Cell membrane consist of ergosterol rather than cholesterol like bacterial cell membrane.



Ø  Ergosterol is a sterol. Fungus can’t survive without ergosterol. Ergosterol involved to carry out many biological functions like regulation of body fluids, activity, membrane fluidity, control of cell cycle and maintain the distribution of integral membrane protein. Ergosterol is the site of action of antifungal drugs, amphotericin B & azole group.
Ø  The cell wall of fungi containing chitin, glucans, mannan & other polysaccharides and other sugar polymers and absence of peptidoglycan like bacteria. It gives the rigidity and support to the cell wall of fungi.
Ø   Chitin is a polysaccharide composed of long chain of n acetylglucosamine.
Ø  Reproduction by asexually, sexually or by both. They reproduce by means of spores. Thus, fungi are insensitive to antibiotics as Penicillins. The fungal cell wall contains other polysaccharide, β glucan, which is the site of action of some antifungal drugs.

Ø  Fungi exhibit the phenomenon of alternation of generation.
Ø  Fungi lack chlorophyll and hence cannot perform photosynthesis.
Ø  Fungi store their food in the form of starch.
Ø  Biosynthesis of chitin occurs in fungi.
Ø  The nuclei of the fungi are very small.
Ø  The fungi have no embryonic stage. They develop from the spores.
Ø  Some fungi are parasitic and can infect the host.
Ø  Fungi produce a chemical called pheromone which leads to sexual reproduction in fungi.

Fungi are classified as

  • Yeasts – Unicellular, round (or) oval shaped cells that divided by budding. Otherwise called as simplest fungi. Its pyriform in shape.
  • Moulds - Elongation of apical cell produces a tubular thread like structures called as “Hyphae”. That grow by longitudinal extension and branching.  A tangled mass of hyphae is called as “Mycelium”. Its fusiform in shape.
  • Hyphae may be septate or non-septate (Coenocytic hyphae).

                                         

          Yeast                                                           Mold

 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Wine production

Image
  Wine production        Wine  is an alcoholic beverage  typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast  consumes the sugar  in the  grapes  and converts it to ethanol  and carbon dioxide and  releasing heat  in the process. Wine making practice is one of the oldest ancient civilizations. Otherwise called vinification and the study called as oenology.  Archaeological evidence suggests that wine was being made at least 8,000 years ago, and there are indications that viticulture was carried on in Mesopotamia (the region that is now Iraq and eastern Syria) about 5,000 years ago. Wine was a popular beverage as well as a sacred drink. In Greek mythology, Dionysus was the god of wine, overseeing all matters pertaining to the cultivation of grapes and wine production.  The production of wine that begin from crushing of fruits, its fermentation into alcohol and the bottling of the finished alcoholic beverage.  W...
Read more

Fermentation of Soy sauce

Image
  Fermentation of Soy sauce •         It is liquid Condiment of Chinese origin. •     Discovered 2,200 years ago during the western Han dynasty of ancient China and spread throughout East and Southeast Asia and used in cooking as a condiment. •         Soy sauce, with unique clear, deep reddish-brown & liquid consistency. •         Available in different forms such as sauce, liquid or semiliquid mixture. •         Provide flavor, moisture, contrast in texture and color. •        Colour - During the aging of soy sauce, glucose and other sugars combine with amino acids to produce a brown pigment called “Melanoidin”, which gives this beautiful brown color to the soy sauce. •         Smell – Fresh soy sauce, have a live yeast smell and over 300 volatile compounds...
Read more

Cheese production

Image
  Cheese production Cheese is a fermented dairy product with different flavour and texture. It contains about  120 calories, 8 grams (g) of protein, 6 g saturated fat, and 180 milligrams (mg) of calcium . The cheese produced by coagulation of milk protein casein using rennet enzyme. Cow, buffalo, goats and sheep milk are used to make cheese. Milk has two main parts (water and the solids). Whey is the correct name for the liquid. Curds is the correct name for the solids. During cheese making, the bacterial enzymes or rennet are used to make acidification of milk. It causes casein become coagulate and separate whey and curds. The curd called as “Curdling or Clabbering”. The solid curds are then removed by cheese cloth filtration method and drain the whey portion. Herbs, spices and wood smoke also used as flavoring agents to make cheese. Example Lemon, Annatto seed, Cherry, Peppermint, Ginger, Black peppers, Caraway, Garlic, Chives, Cranberries, Aromatic oils (Clove, Spe...
Read more