Test File: Life: The Science of Biology, Ninth Edition

Test File
to accompany
Life: The Science of Biology, Ninth Edition
Sadava • Hillis • Heller • Berenbaum
Chapter 30: Fungi: Recyclers, Pathogens, Parasites, and Plant Partners
TEST FILE QUESTIONS

(By Nicola Plowes)
Multiple Choice
1. The names of fungal groups are based on structures associated with

a. sexual reproduction.
b. nutrition.
c. ecology.
d. vegetative growth.
e. cell division.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 30.1 What Is a Fungus?
Page: 627
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
2. Which of the following is a synapomorphy for the fungi?

a. Rhizoids
b. Spores
c. Heterotrophism
d. Chitin in the cell walls
e. Presence of DNA
Answer: d
Page: 627
3. An unknown organism can be identified as a fungus if it

a. is multicellular and nonphotosynthetic.
b. has cell walls and reproduces by spores.
c. has filamentous growth and obtains its food by absorption.
d. has prokaryotic cells and cell walls made of chitin.
e. is unicellular and eukaryotic.
Answer: c
Page: 627–629
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
4. Which of the following is the sister group to Ascomycota?
a. Basidiomycota
b. Zygomycota
c. Chytrids
d. Lichens
e. None of the above
Answer: a
Page: 628
5. Fungi that appear to reproduce only asexually are

a. chytrids.
b. Zygomycota.
c. Ascomycota.
d. Basidiomycota.
e. Glomeromycota.
Answer: e
Page: 628
6. The cell walls of fungal hyphae contain the polysaccharide

a. chitin.
b. cellulose.
c. lignin.
d. silica.
e. pectin.
Answer: a
Page: 629
7. The body of a multicellular fungus is called a

a. dikaryon.
b. hypha.
c. rhizoid.
d. mycelium.
Answer: d
Page: 629
8. Individual filaments that anchor chytrids to their substrate are called

a. dikaryons.
b. hyphae.
c. rhizoids.
d. mycelia.
Answer: c
Page: 629
9. The cells of the body of a multicellular fungus are organized into rapidly growing
individual tubular filaments called
a. dikaryons.
b. hyphae.
c. rhizoids.
d. mycelia.
Answer: b
Page: 629
10. The fruiting structure of a fungus

a. attracts predators away from the essential underground parts.
b. is an important organ for gas exchange with the atmosphere.
c. is a reproductive organ.
d. always acts as a hallucinogen for mammals.
e. serves as a landing pad for fungal pollinators.
Answer: c
Page: 629
11. One adaptation that fungi have for absorptive nutrition, in which nutrients are
absorbed across the cell surfaces, is
a. lack of a cell wall.
b. a low surface area-to-volume ratio.
c. a high surface area-to-volume ratio.
d. tolerance of low temperatures.
e. tolerance of high temperatures.
Answer: c
Page: 630
12. Fungi have a larger surface area-to-volume ratio than do most other multicellular
organisms because
a. most hyphae are in close contact with their food.
b. an individual mycelium can grow very large.
c. hyphae grow together to form a mycelium.
d. most fungi are microscopic organisms.
e. chitinous cell walls are more permeable than cellulose cell walls.
Answer: a
Page: 630
13. In a jar of jelly in a refrigerator, fungi will be more common than bacteria because
fungi have a _______ tolerance for highly _______ environments.
a. lower; hypotonic
b. lower; hypertonic
c. higher; hypotonic
d. higher; hypertonic
e. lower; hypotonic or hypertonic
Answer: d
Page: 630
14. Conidia are

a. spores produced within sporangia.
b. meiotic products.
c. asexual spores formed at the tips of specialized hyphae.
d. encased diploid spores from a basidiomycete.
e. a type of basidium that forms on a specialized stalk.
Answer: c
Page: 630
15. Which of the following is not a form of asexual reproduction in fungi?

a. Simple breakage of the mycelium
b. Production of haploid spores
c. Production of conidia
d. Budding and fission
e. Production of a zygospore
Answer: e
Page: 630
16. A major role of saprobic fungi in terrestrial ecosystems is to
a. trap atmospheric CO2.
b. break down carbon compounds.
c. parasitize animals.
d. parasitize plants.
e. form symbiotic mutualist relationships with plants.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: 30.2 How Do Fungi Interact with Other Organisms?
Page: 631
17. If all the fungi were to disappear, the _______ cycle would fail.
a. carbon
b. phosphorous
c. sulfur
d. nitrogen
e. water
Answer: a
Page: 631
18. Which of the following statements about how fungi obtain nitrogen is false?
a. Fungi can use atmospheric nitrogen directly.
b. Fungi can use nitrate ions.
c. Fungi can obtain nitrogen directly from protein sources.
d. Fungi can obtain nitrogen from ammonium.
e. All of the above are true; none is false.
Answer: a
Page: 631
19. _______ are organisms that live on dead matter.

a. Parasites
b. Saprobes
c. Anaerobes
d. Aerobes
e. Autotrophs
Answer: b
Page: 631
20. Which of the following is the favored source of carbon for saprobic fungi?
a. Sugars
b. Carbon dioxide
c. Chitin
d. Calcium carbonate
e. Cellulose
Answer: a
Page: 631
21.–25. Match the correct term from the list below with the following descriptions of
fungal interactions. Each term may be used once, more than once, or not at all.
a. Saprobic
b. Competitive
c. Predatory
d. Parasitic
e. Mutualistic
21. Fungi break down a fallen tree.

Answer: a
Page: 631
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
22. Black stem rust draws nutrition from wheat and damages the wheat plant.
Answer: d
Page: 632
23. A constricting ring formed by Arthrobotrys traps a nematode. Fungal hyphae invade
and digest the nematode.
Answer: c
Page: 633
24. Fungi grow in association with the roots of soybeans, providing the plants with more
minerals.
Answer: e
Page: 633
25. Seed germination in most orchid species depends on the presence of a specific fungus
species, and the fungus derives nutrients from the seed and seedling.
Answer: e
Page: 633
26. Which of the following human diseases can be caused by a fungus?

a. Pneumonia
b. Diarrhea
c. Ringworm
d. Thrush (Candida)
e. All of the above
Answer: e
Page: 632
27. The global decline of amphibians is linked to the spread of _______ fungus.
a. club
b. smut
c. chytrid
d. sac
e. septate
Answer: c
Page: 632
28. Fungi can be parasitic on

a. animals.
b. plants.
c. protists.
d. Both b and c
e. All of the above
Answer: e
Page: 632–633
29. Predatory fungi may trap prey by means of

a. a constricting ring.
b. sticky substances secreted by hyphae.
c. mycorrhizae.
d. Both a and b
e. All of the above
Answer: d
Page: 633
30. Mycorrhizae are mutualistic symbiotic associations of a fungus with

a. an alga or a bacterium.
b. plant roots.
c. a lichen.
d. an animal.
e. another fungus.
Answer: b
Page: 633
31. Many fungi are _______, associating with photosynthetic organisms to form
mycorrhizae or lichens.
a. symbiotic
b. parasitic
c. saprobic
d. photosynthetic
e. predatory
Answer: a
Page: 633
32. Which component would one expect to find as part of the fungal partner in lichen?
a. Chitin
b. Chlorophyll
c. Reverse transcriptase
d. Silica
e. Cellulose
Answer: a
Page: 633
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
33. The algal partner in a lichen symbiosis is responsible primarily for

a. respiration.
b. food production.
c. defense.
d. reproduction.
e. water storage.
Answer: b
Page: 633
34. Lichens obtain organic carbon
a. by photosynthesis.
b. by engulfing other organisms.
c. by absorption from the environment.
d. from decaying organic material.
e. by parasitizing flowering plants.
Answer: a
Page: 633
35. Lichens are _______ associations of a fungus with _______.

a. symbiotic; an alga or a bacterium
b. saprobic; an alga or a bacterium
c. parasitic; an alga or a bacterium
d. symbiotic; plant roots
e. parasitic; plant roots
Answer: a
Page: 633
36. Approximately _______ percent of fungi are associated with lichens.

a. 2
b. 12
c. 20
d. 50
e. 80
Answer: c
Page: 633
37. Lichens acquire energy from

a. decaying matter.
b. parasitism.
c. the sun.
d. minerals in the air and precipitation.
e. minerals on rocks.
Answer: c
Page: 633–634
38. The portion of the fungus that is involved directly in the formation of a lichen is the
a. fruiting body.
b. mycelium.
c. spore.
d. spore case.
e. blue-green bacteria.
Answer: b
Page: 634
39. Soredia (singular soredium) are reproductive structures found in some

a. Zygomyceta.
b. Ascomyceta.
c. Basidiomyceta.
d. mycorrhizae.
e. lichens.
Answer: e
Page: 634
40. Plants with active mycorrhizae

a. benefit nutritionally from this arrangement.
b. display enhanced absorption of water and minerals (especially phosphorus).
c. are heavily parasitized and die.
d. Both a and b
Answer: d
Page: 635
41. Which of the following is likely to promote mutualistic relationships between plants
and fungi?
a. Nutrient-poor soils
b. A lack of chlorophyll in the plants
c. High levels of herbivory
d. Both a and b
e. All of the above
Answer: e
Page: 636
42. The chytrids are different from all other fungi in that
a. they reproduce only asexually.
b. their haploid gametes have flagella.
c. they are the only parasitic fungi.
d. they contain a fruiting body.
e. they contain a thallus.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: 30.3 What Variations Exist among Fungal Life Cycles?
Page: 636
43. The absence of flagellated gametes is a synapomorphy of which of the following

fungal groups?
a. Chytrids
b. Ascomycota
c. Basidiomycota
d. Ascomycota and Basidiomycota
e. Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Zygomycota
Answer: e
Page: 636–637
44. The fruiting bodies of Ascomycota have _______ hyphae, whereas those in
Basidiomycota are _______.
a. dikaryotic and haploid; only dikaryotic
b. dikaryotic; dikaryotic or haploid
c. dikaryotic; dikaryotic
d. haploid; dikaryotic
e. haploid; haploid or dikaryotic
Answer: a
Page: 637
45. The fusion of two different mating types forms a dikaryon that is a heterokaryon. The
term “heterokaryon” refers to the fact that
a. the hypha is haploid.
b. two nuclei fused in the course of its formation.
c. there are two genetically different nuclei in a single hypha.
d. the two nuclei have fused into a zygote.
Answer: c
Page: 638
46. Dikaryotic cells

a. have two hyphae per fruiting body.
b. contain pairs of homologous chromosomes.
c. produce two spores per hypha.
d. contain two nuclei per cell.
e. contain diploid nuclei.
Answer: d
Page: 638
47. Motile gametes are found in

a. Zygomycota.
b. Glomeromycota.
c. chytrids.
d. sac fungi.
e. Basidiomycota.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 30.4 How Have Fungi Evolved and Diversified?
Page: 639
48. Which of the groups below is not monophyletic?

a. Ascomycetes
b. Chytrids
c. Basidiomycetes
d. Zygomycetes
e. Both b and d
Answer: e
Page: 639–640
49. In which of the following groups are almost half of the species involved in
mutualistic relationships known as lichens?
a. Zygomycota
b. Ascomycota
c. Glomeromycota
d. Blastocladiomycota
e. Basidiomycota
Answer: b
Page: 640
50.–53. Match the groups of fungi in the list below with the descriptions that follow.
Each group may be used once, more than once, or not at all.
a. Zygomycota
b. Chytrids
c. Ascomycota
d. Basidiomycota
e. Glomeromycota
50. Reproduce asexually—no evidence yet of sexual reproduction

Answer: e
Page: 640
51. Perforated cross-walls; found in terrestrial, marine, and freshwater habitats; includes
baker’s, or brewer’s, yeast
Answer: c
Page: 640–641
52. Asci are contained within a specialized fruiting structure (ascoma); includes molds,
parasites such as the Dutch elm disease fungus, and epicurean delights such as morels
and truffles
Answer: c
Page: 640–641
53. Common name is club fungi; complete cross-walls; includes puffballs, mushrooms,
wheat rust, smut fungi, mycorrhizae
Answer: d
Page: 642
54. Which of the following fungi are included in the same taxonomic group?
a. Cup fungi and bracket fungi
b. Truffles and morels
c. Amanita and powdery mildew
d. Black bread mold and pink bread mold
e. Dutch elm disease fungi and smut fungi
Answer: b
Page: 640–642
55. Rhizopus is a type of mold that has coenocytic hyphae and only one diploid cell (the
zygote) during its life cycle. It is therefore likely to belong to which of the following
groups?
a. Zygomycota
b. Ascomycota
c. Glomeromycota
d. Blastocladiomycota
e. Microsporidia
Answer: a
Page: 641
56. Fungi play important roles in the fermentation of many different human foods. Which
of the following is not one of these foods?
a. Beer
b. Bread
c. Soy sauce
d. Cheese
e. Yoghurt
Answer: e
Page: 641
57. Which of the following statements about the economic usefulness of fungi is false?
a. Some species are used commercially to flavor foods.
b. Some species are edible.
c. Some species produce alcohol via fermentation.
d. Some species produce oxygen via fermentation.
e. Some species produce antibiotics.
Answer: d
Page: 641
58. Common morels are classified as

a. Basidiomycota.
b. Ascomycota.
c. Zygomycota.
d. mycorrhizae.
e. lichens.
Answer: b
Page: 641
59. Baker’s yeast is classified as
a. Ascomycota.
b. Microsporidia.
c. Blastocladiomycota.
d. Basidiomycota.
e. mycorrhizae.
Answer: a
Page: 641
60. The gills of a mushroom are specialized for

a. respiration.
b. food production.
c. defense.
d. reproduction.
e. water storage.
Answer: d
Page: 642
61. Which of the following is a Basidiomycota?

a. Dutch elm disease fungus
b. Chestnut blight fungus
c. Powdery mildew
d. Green fruit mold
e. Smut fungus
Answer: e
Page: 642
62. Cereal grains are parasitized by rusts and smuts, which are classified as
a. mycorrhizae.
b. Ascomycota.
c. Basidiomycota.
d. Microsporidia.
e. lichens.
Answer: c
Page: 642
63. A sexually produced spore that buds from the surface of a basidium is a(n)
a. zygospore.
b. ascospore.
c. sporangiophore.
d. basidiospore.
e. zoospore.
Answer: d
Page: 642
Fill in the Blank
1. Unicellular forms of three types of fungi (sac, zygospore, and club fungi) are known as
_______.
Answer: yeasts
Page: 628
2. Reduced parasitic fungi are likely to belong to the _______ group.

Answer: Microsporidia
Page: 628
3. The sister groups to the fungi are the _______ and the _______.
Answer: choanoflagellates; animals
Page: 628
4. Fungi are heterotrophic organisms, with absorptive nutrition, that contain _______ in
their cell walls.
Answer: chitin
Page: 629
5. The cell walls of all fungi consist of the polysaccharide _______, which is also found
in some animals.
Answer: chitin
Page: 629
6. The body of a multicellular fungus is called a _______.

Answer: mycelium
Page: 629
7. The body cells of a multicellular fungus are organized into rapidly growing, individual
tubular filaments called _______.
Answer: hyphae
Page: 629
8. Individual filaments that anchor chytrids and some other fungi to their substrate are
called _______.
Answer: rhizoids
Page: 629
9. Sexual reproduction in fungi occurs between genetically distinct _______.

Answer: mating types
Page: 630
10. Sexual reproduction in fungi is accomplished when two different mating types
_______.
Answer: fuse
Page: 630
11. There are two types of parasitic fungi: _______, which grow parasitically but can also
grow independently, and _______, which grow only on their specific hosts.
Answer: facultative; obligate
Page: 632
12. After a parasitic fungus invades leaf tissue, the hyphae form branching projections
called _______ that push into the living plant cells and absorb their nutrients.
Answer: haustoria
Page: 632
13. Organisms living in mutually beneficial symbiosis with other organisms are called
_______.
Answer: mutualists
Page: 633
14. Lichens can reproduce by fragmenting the _______ or by specialized structures called
_______.
Answer: thallus; soredia
Page: 634
15. Fungi often have a _______ life stage in which a hypha has two haploid nuclei (1n +
1n).
Answer: dikaryotic
Page: 638
16. Microsporia penetrate their host cell using a _______, through which they inject the
contents of the spore.
Answer: polar tube
Page: 639
17. The fungi of the most basal clade, the _______, were formerly classified as protists.
Answer: chytrids
Page: 639
18. The _______ and _______ are two major groups of fungi that are not monophyletic,
but rather have several distinct lineages.
Answer: chytrids; zygospore fungi (or Zygomycota)
Page: 639–640
19. The fungal group that associates with plant roots to form arbuscular mycorrhizae is
the _______.
Answer: Glomeromycota
Page: 640
20. The strong flavors of Camembert and Roquefort cheeses come from the digestion of
milk by green molds in the _______ genus in the _______ fungi group.
Answer: Penicillium; Ascomycota
Page: 641
21. The scientific term for the “mushroom” part of a club fungus is _______.
Answer: basidioma
Page: 642
Diagram
1.–5. Refer to the diagram below, showing the life cycle of an Ascomycota fungus.
1. What is the technical name of the fruiting structure of this type of fungus? Identify its
label.
Answer: Ascoma (E)
Page: 637
2. What is the name of the structure that holds the meiotic products? Identify its label.
Answer: Ascus (A)
Page: 637
3. What is the name of the structure that results from plasmogamy? Identify its label.
Answer: Dikaryotic mycelium (D)
Page: 637
4. What is the dispersal stage of the fungus? Identify its label.

Answer: Ascospores (B)
Page: 637
5. What is the only diploid stage of the fungus? Identify its label.
Answer: Zygote (F)
Page: 637
6.–10. Refer to the diagram below, showing the life cycle of a Basidiomycota fungus.
6. What is the technical name of the fruiting structure of this type of fungus? Identify its
label.
Answer: Basidioma (E)
Page: 637
7. What is the name of the structure that holds the meiotic products? Identify its label.
Answer: Basidium (A)
Page: 637
8. What is the name of the structure that results from plasmogamy? Identify its label.
Answer: Dikaryotic mycelium (D)
Page: 637
9. What is the dispersal stage of the fungus? Identify its label.

Answer: Basidiospores (B)
Page: 637
10. What is the only diploid stage of the fungus? Identify its label.
Answer: Zygote (F)
Page: 637
STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS

(By Jacalyn Newman)
Knowledge and Synthesis
1. Many species of fungi can be placed into one of six main groups based on
a. methods of sexual reproduction.
b. whether or not gametes have a flagella.
c. the presence or absence of septa in the hyphae.
d. DNA sequence analysis.
e. All of the above
Answer: d
Feedback: Traditionally, a fungus’s method of sexual reproduction was the primary
criterion in its classification, but all the traits listed are useful in classifying fungi.
Page: 627
2. Which of the following would not be found in any of the typical fungal life cycles?
a. Haploid nuclei
b. Diploid nuclei
c. Spores
d. Chloroplasts
e. A dikaryotic stage
Answer: d
Feedback: Fungi have haploid and diploid nuclei at different stages of their life cycle,
and many have a dikaryotic stage. They also produce spores. The chloroplasts are not
found in the fungi, but in plants.
Page: 635–638
3. Fungi are absorptive heterotrophs. Which of the following is an adaptation that greatly
aids this mode of nutrient procurement?
a. Dikaryosis
b. A large surface area-to-volume ratio
c. Conjugation
d. A complex life cycle
e. a small surface area-to-volume ratio
Answer: b
Feedback: The large surface area-to-volume ratio of the hyphae increases the ability of a
fungus to absorb nutrients.
Page: 630
4. Assume that two normal hyphae of different fungal mating types meet. After a period
of time, the cell walls between these hyphae will dissolve, producing a
a. mycelium.
b. fruiting body.
c. zygote.
d. spore.
e. dikaryotic cell.
Answer: e
Feedback: When two hyphae of different mating types fuse, they form a dikaryotic
hyphae.
Page: 635–638
5. Which of the following is the best way to represent the ploidy of dikaryotic hyphae?
a. 1/2 n
b. n/n
c. n
d. n + n
e. 2n
Answer: d
Feedback: Dikaryotic hyphae are neither truly diploid (2n) nor haploid (n). Because
dikaryotic hyphae include genetic material from two haploid nuclei that remain separate,
the best way to represent their ploidy is as n + n.
Page: 635–638
6. Which of the following statements about sexual reproduction in fungi is false?

a. Motile gametes are present in all fungal species.
b. An aquatic environment is not required for fertilization to occur in most fungi.
c. There is no true diploid tissue in the life cycle of most sexually reproducing fungi.
d. Sexual reproduction often begins with contact between hyphae of different mating
types.
e. Alternation of generations and sexual reproduction can occur in the same species.
Answer: a
Feedback: Not all fungi have motile gametes; only the gametes of chytrids are motile.
Page: 638–642
7. A mycorrhiza is
a. a specialized type of lichen.
b. the fruiting structure of a basidiomycota.
c. a symbiotic association between a fungus and cyanobacterium or green algae.
d. a reproductive stage of sac fungi.
e. a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant.
Answer: d
Feedback: Mycorrhizae are associations between fungi and the roots of plants. Lichens
are symbiotic relationships between fungi and cyanobacteria or green algae.
Page: 633
8. Suppose a scientist investigating the classification of a fungus that has never been
observed to reproduce sexually discovers that it has DNA sequences characteristic of
basidiomycota. If this scientist could coax fungi of this species to reproduce sexually,
which of the following would most likely be observed?
a. Dikaryotic hyphae segmented by septa
b. Dikaryotic hyphae without septa
c. Asymmetrical cell division
d. A dikaryotic ascus
e. Flagellated gametes
Answer: a
Feedback: If this fungus is indeed a basidiomycota, the fusing of hyphae of different
mating types will most likely result in dikaryotic hyphae that are segmented by septa.
Page: 642–643
9. Which of the following fungi have coenocytic hyphae and stalked sporangiophores?
a. Chytrids
b. Zygomycota
c. Ascomycetes
d. Basidiomycota
e. Glomeromycota
Answer: b
Feedback: Coenocytic hyphae are characteristic of both the chytrids and the zygomycota,
but only the zygomycota regularly produce sporangiophores.
Page: 635–636
10. Which of the following fungi display alternation of generations?

a. Chytrids
b. Glomeromycota
c. Ascomycota
d. Basidiomycota
e. Zygomycota
Answer: a
Feedback: Among the fungi, only the chytrids have a multicellular haploid stage and a
multicellular true diploid stage.
Page: 635–636
11. Which of the following is thought to be the most ancient group?

a. Penicillium
b. Fusarium
c. Saccharomyces
d. Aspergillus
e. Allomyces
Answer: e
Feedback: Chytrids are thought to be the most ancient group, and Allomyces is a well-
characterized genus of chytrids.
Page: 640–641
12. A saprobe is an organism that

a. absorbs nutrients from the sap of a host plant.
b. reproduces in the sap of a plant.
c. undergoes asexual reproduction.
d. is mutualistic.
e. absorbs nutrients from dead organic matter.
Answer: e
Feedback: Saprobes are organisms that absorb nutrients from dead matter. Some bacteria
are saprobes.
Page: 627
13. Which of the following is not a form of asexual reproduction in fungi?

a. Budding
b. Formation of haploid spores in sporangia
c. Formation of dikaryotic mycelia
d. Fission
e. Formation of haploid spores in conidia
Answer: c
Feedback: The dikaryotic mycelium is a structure formed in the sexual reproduction life
cycle.
Page: 630
14. Which of the following statements about fungi is false (i.e., a common
misconception)?
a. Fungi grow only in warm, wet environments.
b. Fungi lose water rapidly in a dry environment.
c. Fungi can grow in environments too hypertonic to sustain bacteria.
d Fungi are eukaryotes and have multiple mating types.
e. Male and female fungi have no distinctive morphology.
Answer: a
Feedback: Fungi are plentiful in warm, wet environments, but many also survive extreme
temperatures and very dry conditions.
Page: 630
15. Which of the following scientific groups is correctly matched with its correct
common name?
a. Chytrids – microspore fungi
b. Zygomycota – sac fungi
c. Glomeromycota – mycorrhizial fungi
d Basidiomycota – sac fungi
e. Ascomycota – club fungi
Answer: c
Feedback: The correct associations are as follows: Microsporidia/microsporidia;
Chytrids/chytrids; Zygomycota/zygospore; Glomeromycota/mycorrhizae;
Ascomycota/sac fungi; Basidiomycota/club fungi.
Page: 628
Application
1. Early taxonomists considered fungi to be members of the plant kingdom. What

evidence indicates that they are in fact more closely related to animals?
Answer: At the cellular level, fungi bear very little resemblance to plants or even to the
surviving green algae that are the most likely common ancestor of all plants. They do not
produce chlorophyll, nor do they have plastids for storing reserves of photosynthetic
products. Fungi and plants both have cell walls, but fungal cell walls contain chitin, a
polysaccharide molecule (see Chapter 3) that plants do not produce. Chitin is found in
some animals (particularly among the ecdysozoans) and in choanoflagellates, the protist
group most closely related to the animals. It is unlikely that this complex molecule
evolved more than once, so it is likely that fungi and animals shared a chitin-producing
ancestor that is more recent than any ancestor shared by fungi and plants or by animals
and plants.
Page: 627
2. Explain the different ways in which fungi are important to plants.

Answer: Plants rely on mycorrhizae for adequate absorption of water and nutrients from
the soil. Scientists hypothesize that this is the relationship that allowed plants to colonize
land in the first place. Other fungi can provide their hosts with some resistance to
herbivores, increased resistance to drought, and protection from some pathogens. The
mechanisms of these protective actions are not all understood, although they have been
adopted in some agricultural practices.
Page: 635
3. How is basic research on fungi relevant to research on the prevention and cure of
HIV/AIDS?
Answer: Basic research in mycology (the study of fungi) may directly improve the lives
of many HIV-positive individuals who suffer from fungal infections, many of which can
be fatal. Better understanding of how fungal-based pneumonia, diarrhea, and esophagitis
develop in the human body will help us treat these patients and alleviate suffering.
Funding for basic mycology research may also have very direct impact on treating
humans in the latter stages of AIDS.
Page: 632
4. Review the material in Chapter 7 (Cell Signaling and Communication). List and
explain three examples of cell signaling in fungi.
Answer: Many examples of cell signaling can be found among the fungi. For example,
chemical signaling is the mechanism by which plants attract fungi. The introduction of
Chapter 30 of the textbook has a discussion of how the parasite Striga can detect these
chemical signals to seek out a host. Predatory fungi make use of a detection mechanism
in order to contract around a nematode, and cell signaling is necessary in the coordination
of many different cells to form structures such as basidiomas, ascomas, diploid chytrids,
and sporangia. Even proper mating types are identified by means of cell signaling.
Page: 631–635
5. Why have scientists abandoned the classification of fungi based on reproductive

cycles? Explain and evaluate the justifications for this decision.
Answer: Scientists have always used the tools available to them. In a time when
molecular data was not available, a classification system based on morphological features
made sense, since many of these structures reflect the reproductive strategies and thus the
common ancestries of different organisms. This approach is limited, however, since it
does not account for changes in reproductive strategies over time. As organisms have
evolved and moved into new environments, their relationships to other species may not
be reflected in physical features and current reproductive strategies. DNA sequence
analysis allows scientists to examine the entire genome and compare conserved
sequences that may not be expressed as visible changes. This new technology thus gives
us new insights into the relationships among organisms. As we develop new tools in the
future, we will understand even more about the evolution of the fungi.
Page: 627
TEXTBOOK SELF-QUIZ
1. Which statement about fungi is not true?

a. A multicellular fungus has a body called a mycelium.
b. Hyphae are composed of individual mycelia.
c. Many fungi tolerate highly hypertonic environments.
d. Many fungi tolerate low temperatures.
e. Some fungi are anchored to their substrate by rhizoids.
Answer: b
2. The absorptive heterotrophy of fungi is aided by

a. dikaryon formation.
b. spore formation.
c. the fact that they are all parasites.
d. their large surface area-to-volume ratio.
e. their possession of chloroplasts.
Answer: d
3. Which statement about fungal nutrition is not true?

a. Some fungi are active predators.
b. Some fungi form mutualistic associations with other organisms.
c. All fungi require mineral nutrients.
d. Fungi can make some of the compounds that are vitamins for animals.
e. Facultative parasites can grow only on their specific hosts.
Answer: e
4. Which statement about dikaryosis is not true?

a. The cytoplasm of two cells fuses before their nuclei fuse.
b. The two haploid nuclei are genetically different.
c. The two nuclei are of the same mating type.
d. The dikaryon stage ends when the two nuclei fuse.
e. Not all fungi have a dikaryon stage.
Answer: c
5. Reproductive structures consisting of one or more photosynthetic cells surrounded by

fungal hyphae are called
a. ascospores.
b. basidiospores.
c. conidia.
d. soredia.
e. gametes.
Answer: d
6. Members of the zygospore fungi

a. have hyphae without regularly occurring septa.
b. produce motile gametes.
c. form fleshy fruiting bodies.
d. are haploid throughout their life cycle.
e. have sexual reproductive structures similar to those of the sac fungi.
Answer: a
7. Which statement about sac fungi is not true?

a. Some species are yeasts.
b. They form reproductive structures called asci.
c. Their hyphae are segmented by septa.
d. Many of their species have a dikaryotic state.
e. All have fruiting structures called ascomata.
Answer: e
8. Club fungi
a. often produce fleshy fruiting structures.
b. have hyphae without septa.
c. have no sexual stage.
d. produce basidia within basidiospores.
e. form diploid basidiospores.
Answer: a
9. Microsporidia
a. lack true mitochondria.
b. are parasites of animals.
c. contain mitosomes.
d. are among the smallest eukaryotes known.
e. All of the above
Answer: e
10. Which statement about lichens is not true?

a. They can reproduce by fragmentation of the vegetative body.
b. They are often the first colonists in a new area.
c. They render their environment more basic (alkaline).
d. They contribute to soil formation.
e. They may contain less than 10 percent water by weight.
Answer: c
BIOPORTAL DIAGNOSTIC QUIZ (Personalized Study Plan Quiz)

(By Nancy Murray)
1. Fungi can be
a. saprobes.
b. parasites.
c. pathogens.
d. mutualists.
e. All of the above
Answer: e
Page: 627
2. Which of the following is not characteristic of fungi? (Note: not all fungi will
necessarily have each of the characteristics.)
a. Absorptive heterotrophy
b. Fungal reproduction is limited to asexual processes
c. Hyphae
d. Cell walls containing chitin
e. Mycelia
Answer: b
Page: 627–629
3. Unicellular fungi, except those of the chytrids, are

a. all in the same group.
b. in the same clade.
c. called yeasts.
d. flagellated.
e. common among Glomeromycota.
Answer: c
Page: 628
4. The body of a multicellular fungus is called a _______. It is made up of _______ that

may be septate or _______.
a. hyphae; mycelium; rhizoids
b. mycelium; hyphae; rhizoids
c. rhizoid; mycelium; hyphae
d. mycelium; hyphae; coenocytic
e. hyphae; mycelium; coenocytic
Answer: d
Page: 629
5. Which of the following statements about fungal nutrition is false?

a. Some fungi can obtain everything they need to grow from dead organic matter.
b. Sugars are the preferred carbon and energy source in fungi.
c. Some fungi are nitrogen fixers.
d. Fungi can use nitrate as their source of nitrogen.
e. Fungi cannot synthesize some vitamins.
Answer: c
Page: 631
6. In what way do fungal decomposers contribute to Earth’s carbon cycle?
a. They use CO2 during photosynthesis.
b. They sequester carbon on the forest floor preventing it from entering the atmosphere.
c. They return carbon atoms to the atmosphere in the form of respiratory CO2.
d. Fungal decomposers aren’t involved in Earth’s carbon cycle.
e. Both a and b
Answer: c
Page: 631
7. Lichens are
a. a single organism.
b. prevalent in industrialized cities.
c. plant cells in association with fungal cells.
d. rapid growers.
e. most often a unicellular green alga in association with fungal cells.
Answer: e
Page: 633
8. Lichens may reproduce

a. sexually, by the formation of soredia.
b. asexually, by fragmentation of the thallus.
c. asexually, by formation of soredia.
d. sexually by the fungus-producing spores.
e. Both b and c
Answer: e
Page: 634
9. The mycorrhizal association provides a plant with _______ and _______ and the
fungus with _______ and _______.
a. water; amino acids; sugars; minerals
b. water; minerals; sugars; amino acids
c. sugars; minerals; water; amino acids
d. water; sugars; amino acids; minerals
e. minerals; amino acids; water; sugars
Answer: b
Page: 635
10. Endophytic fungi

a. are associated with the roots of a plant.
b. are relatively rare in terrestrial environments.
c. are harmful to plants.
d. produce alkaloids that are toxic to animals.
e. make plants less resistant to stress.
Answer: d
Page: 635
11. Reproduction in fungi

a. can occur sexually in unicellular fungi by fission.
b. occurs sexually when hyphae of different mating types fuse and make spores by
meiosis.
c. can occur sexually in unicellular fungi by budding.
d. occurs sexually when hyphae of different mating types fuse and make spores by
mitosis.
e. occurs sexually by alternation of generations in all fungi.
Answer: b
Page: 638
12. Which of the following characteristics is unique to the fungi?

a. Alternation of generations
b. Spores
c. Dikaryotic condition
d. Fusion of nuclei
e. Plasmogamy
Answer: e
Page: 638
13. Chytrids are distinct from other fungi in that

a. they do not have chitin in their cell walls.
b. they have rhizoids that function like the roots of plants.
c. their gametes are flagellated.
d. many are parasites or saprobes.
e. Both a and c
Answer: c
Page: 639
14. The life cycle of some Ascomycota and Basidiomycota is unusual in that
a. there are no gametes.
b. the dikaryotic condition can persist for years.
c. the diploid state predominates.
d. meiosis does not take place.
e. Both a and b
Answer: e
Page: 639–643
15. Zygomycota
a. produce only one diploid cell in their life cycle.
b. have many septa in their hyphal cells.
c. usually form a fleshy fruiting body.
d. reproduce sexually by the formation of sporangiophores.
e. have flagellated gametes.
Answer: a
Page: 640
16. Glomeromycota
a. form ectomychorrizal associations with plant roots.
b. have been observed to reproduce sexually.
c. are associated with 80 to 90 percent of all plants.
d. are plant pathogens.
e. form highly interconnected mycelia.
Answer: c
Page: 640
17. In Ascomycota, the ascospores are _______ and the hyphae, _______. When the
hyphae of two different mating types fuse, a _______ results.
a. haploid; diploid; coenocyte
b. diploid; hapliod; dikaryon
c. haploid; haploid; dikaryon
d. diploid; diploid; coenocyte
e. haploid; haploid; coenocyte
Answer: c
Page: 640–641
18. Sac fungus yeasts often

a. are often unicellular.
b. have asci in a fruiting structure.
c. have a dikaryon stage.
d. have a diploid sporophyte generation.
e. do not reproduce sexually.
Answer: a
Page: 641
19. Which of the following statements best explains why sexually reproducing fungi lack
male and female structures?
a. Sexually reproducing fungi only express male and female structures during the mating
process.
b. Sexually reproducing fungi only express four gender types.
c. There are only asexually reproducing fungi.
d. Sexually reproducing fungi express different mating types instead of male and female
structures.
Answer: d
Page: 641–642
20. Which of the following statements about sexual reproduction in Basidiomycota is

true?
a. Spores are borne in asci.
b. All hyphae are haploid.
c. The fruiting structure is diploid.
d. The only diploid cells are those that contain fused nuclei.
e. Spores are diploid.
Answer: d
Page: 642

Test File: Life: The Science of Biology, Ninth Edition

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Test File: Life: The Science of Biology, Ninth Edition

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Test File: Life: The Science of Biology, Ninth Edition

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Test File

Chapter 30: Fungi: Recyclers, Pathogens, Parasites, and Plant Partners

TEST FILE QUESTIONS

1. The names of fungal groups are based on structures associated with

2. Which of the following is a synapomorphy for the fungi?

3. An unknown organism can be identified as a fungus if it

5. Fungi that appear to reproduce only asexually are

6. The cell walls of fungal hyphae contain the polysaccharide

7. The body of a multicellular fungus is called a

8. Individual filaments that anchor chytrids to their substrate are called

10. The fruiting structure of a fungus

14. Conidia are

15. Which of the following is not a form of asexual reproduction in fungi?

19. _______ are organisms that live on dead matter.

21. Fungi break down a fallen tree.

26. Which of the following human diseases can be caused by a fungus?

28. Fungi can be parasitic on

29. Predatory fungi may trap prey by means of

30. Mycorrhizae are mutualistic symbiotic associations of a fungus with

33. The algal partner in a lichen symbiosis is responsible primarily for

35. Lichens are _______ associations of a fungus with _______.

36. Approximately _______ percent of fungi are associated with lichens.

37. Lichens acquire energy from

39. Soredia (singular soredium) are reproductive structures found in some

40. Plants with active mycorrhizae

43. The absence of flagellated gametes is a synapomorphy of which of the following

46. Dikaryotic cells

47. Motile gametes are found in

48. Which of the groups below is not monophyletic?

50. Reproduce asexually—no evidence yet of sexual reproduction

58. Common morels are classified as

60. The gills of a mushroom are specialized for

61. Which of the following is a Basidiomycota?

Fill in the Blank

2. Reduced parasitic fungi are likely to belong to the _______ group.

6. The body of a multicellular fungus is called a _______.

9. Sexual reproduction in fungi occurs between genetically distinct _______.

4. What is the dispersal stage of the fungus? Identify its label.

9. What is the dispersal stage of the fungus? Identify its label.

STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS

Knowledge and Synthesis

6. Which of the following statements about sexual reproduction in fungi is false?

10. Which of the following fungi display alternation of generations?

11. Which of the following is thought to be the most ancient group?

12. A saprobe is an organism that

13. Which of the following is not a form of asexual reproduction in fungi?

1. Early taxonomists considered fungi to be members of the plant kingdom. What

2. Explain the different ways in which fungi are important to plants.

5. Why have scientists abandoned the classification of fungi based on reproductive

1. Which statement about fungi is not true?

2. The absorptive heterotrophy of fungi is aided by

3. Which statement about fungal nutrition is not true?

4. Which statement about dikaryosis is not true?

5. Reproductive structures consisting of one or more photosynthetic cells surrounded by

6. Members of the zygospore fungi

7. Which statement about sac fungi is not true?

10. Which statement about lichens is not true?

BIOPORTAL DIAGNOSTIC QUIZ (Personalized Study Plan Quiz)

35. Lichens are _ associations of a fungus with _.

4. The body of a multicellular fungus is called a _. It is made up of _ that