30. Fungi: Recyclers, Pathogens, Parasites,
and Plant Partners 650
30.1
How Do Fungi Thrive in Virtually Every
Environment? 651
The body of a multicellular fungus
is composed of hyphae 651
Fungi are in intimate contact with
their environment 652
Fungi exploit many nutrient sources
653
Fungi balance nutrition and reproduction
654
30.2
How Are Fungi Beneficial to Other
Organisms? 655
Saprobic fungi dispose of Earth’s
garbage and contribute to the planetary
carbon cycle 655
Mutualistic relationships are beneficial
to both partners 655
Lichens can grow where plants cannot
655
Mycorrhizae are essential to most
plants 657
Endophytic fungi protect some plants
from pathogens, herbivores, and stress
658
Some fungi are food for the ants that
farm them 658
30.3
How Do Fungal Life Cycles Differ from
One Another? 659
Fungi reproduce both sexually and
asexually 659
The dikaryotic condition is unique
to the fungi 662
The life cycles of some parasitic
fungi require two hosts 662 “Imperfect
fungi” lack a sexual stage 663
30.4 How
Do We Tell the Fungal Groups Apart?
663
Chytrids are the only fungi with flagella
663
Zygomycetes reproduce sexually by
fusion of two gametangia 664
Glomeromycetes form arbuscular mycorrhizae
665
The sexual reproductive structure
of ascomycetes is the ascus 665
The sexual reproductive structure
of basidiomycetes is a basidium 667
