Characteristics that distinguish the fungi kingdom?

General characteristics of fungi :

·

Fungi areeukaryotic.

Their cells contain a

membrane - bound nucleus and other membrane - bound organelles.

Fungi havecell walls (plants also have cell walls, butanimals have

no cell walls).

·

Fungi cell walls are composed mainly of acarbohydratecalledchitin * ,

while plant cell walls are composed mainly of cellulose.

Fungi areachlorophyllous, which means they lack the chlorophyll pigments

present in thechloroplastsinplant cellsand which are

necessary forphotosynthesis.

Fungi are thereforeincapable of

photosynthesis.

·

The (carbohydrate)moleculeused to

store energy in fungi isglycogen.

Glycogen is also used to store energy in the muscle and liver cells of animals

but plants have a different storage molecule, called starch.

·

Fungi areheterotrophs, which means that

they obtain nutrientsby absorption.

(As also applies to other living things, including plants and animals, fungi

need nutrients in order to live, grow and reproduce.

)

Some fungi, calledsaprobionticfungi, release enzymes that help to

break - down dead organic matter into chemicals that the fungi can then absorb

and process as a food source.

Other fungi areparasitic, meaning that they

obtain nutrients directly from other living things such as trees, or even

people e.

G. in the case of the fungus responsible forAthlete's Foot.

·

Saprobiontic fungiaresaprobiontic

organisms, also calledsaprobionts.

They digest their foodexternallyand

thenabsorb the products of that 'digestion'.

To do this theyform

very thin threads calledhyphaethat enable the fungus to feed on

organic matter, e.

G. dead and decaying bodies of plants and animals.

See how

saprobiontic organisms feed.