Free Essay On All Fungi Are Not The Same

Zygomycota

Zygomycota is a phylum of fungi that is named after their process of its life cycle that leads to the production of temporary dormant structures called zygosporangia. These organisms can reproduce through sexual and asexual means. The sexual reproduction takes place through the fusion of gametangia that contains various nuclei, and would lead to the production of zygosporangia and zygospores (Zygomycota). Asexual reproduction on the other hand is the process by which the hyphae develop on the surface where the fungus may get the needed nutrients (Phylum). Asexual reproduction occurs as their spores are carried off by the wind or by other means.
Zygomycota thrive by attaching and growing in surfaces where they can get the needed nutrients. These are diverse fungi that grow in different environments. For example, they can live in in the gut of arthropods and feed on the unused nutrients. While these fungi can be harmful to humans, some of these organisms have practical use. The Rhizopus oligosporus and Actinomour elegans are used in food fermentation especially in Asia.

Ascomycota

This class of fungi is one of the most recently discovered within this group. It can reproduce by producing spores sexually or asexually. The sexual reproduction process occurs as the ascospores, forms within the ascus. The spores are spread by several elements such as the wind, animals or even running water.
Ascomycota, just like any other fungi, are heterotrophs; that is they thrive on the nutrients that are present in the bodies of dead or living organisms. They can consume carbonaceous substances and they have a significant role in re-using materials from withered plants.
Though there are ways that Ascomycota can be harmful to humans, there are also benefits that can be derived from these fungi. Accordingly the largest phylum in the kingdom of fungi is beneficial as they do not only serve as ingredients in the making of breads and other products, but they also serve as the basis of some scientific researches that aims to uncover the mystery of many human illnesses. One example of Ascomycota is the Saccharomyces cerevisiae or the most commonly called baker’s yeast used in making breads and wine.

Basidiomycota

The most familiar forms of Basidiomycota are those that produce the mushrooms through a sexual reproductive process, though it also includes species that reproduce asexually (Swann and Hibbet). One of the identifying features of Basidiomycta is that of being ballistospores, this is the process of reproduction by which sexual or asexual spores are propelled directly into the air from the sterigma. These fungi can thrive most often in terrestrial environments, and also in freshwater and marine ecosystems.
Basidiomycota has an enormous influence on the human society and the entire ecosystem. Most of these fungi get their nutrition on decaying matter such as wood and plants residues. It plays an important role in the carbon cycle.
There are many ways by which Basidiomycota can be helpful to people. For example, the cultivation of mushrooms has help augment the income of many mushroom propagators. The mushroom Amanita phalloides contains basidiomycete toxin phalloidin that can bind actin, a component of micro filaments. There are also instances when fluorescent stains that integrate phalloidin are used by cell biologists in visualizing the cytoskeleton (Swann and ibbert).

References

Phylum Zygomycota. Retrieved from http://www.mhe.com
Swann, E., Hibbet, D. Basidiomycota. Tree of Life Web Project.
Taylor, W., Spatafora, J., Berbee, M., Ascomycota: Sac Fungi. Tree of Life Web Project.
Zygomycota. Natural History of the Fungi. Retrieved from http://www.nbm-mnb.ca