18 November 2012

#11: Fungi Kingdom


For a very long time, fungi were classified as plants. However, they are very different from plants and belong to their own kingdom. Fungi do not have chlorophyll and do not photosynthesise.









They feed saprophytically, or parasitically, on organic material like faeces, human foods and dead plants or animals. 


A fungus is made of hyphae, which are long tubes, collectively they are called mycellium and form branches that can cover many acres.





The hypha is a long tube and effectively one cell with many nuclei. It could be divided into comparments by septa; The tip is tapered, this is where it is growing outwards and is known as the extension zone.

Fungi grow specialised areas for reproduction called fruiting bodies. These can grow very large and be visible to the naked eye where they are known as mushrooms. It is from these that spores are produced.



4 comments:

  1. I see on the fourth image on the edible mushroom that the mycellium is labeled as "mycelium" (one "L"). Is this also allowed in IG?

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  2. Mycelium is correct, not mycellium, cheers.

    ReplyDelete
  3. IGCSE Allows for spelling errors for the examinations in 2014. Even if you write luns instead of lungs, It's allowed! Later in 2015 and 2015+ years it's not.

    ReplyDelete