Faculté de médecine de Blida

Département de pharmacie
Laboratoire de botanique médicale

Introduction TO mycologY
I. DEFINITIONS :
Mycology: the study of fungi, a group that includes the mushrooms and yeasts.
Fungi = Mycetes: Fungi represent a vast and highly diverse group, estimated to include around
1.5 million species, making them the second largest group in the living world after insects.
Fungi are eukaryotes and thallus organisms that lack chlorophyll, which restricts them to
complete heterotrophy for carbon, classifying them as consumers, similar to animals.

II. CHARACTERISTICS OF FUNGI:

A. General characteristics :
Currently, the fungal kingdom is defined by a set of 7 fundamental characteristics. These
organisms are:
1. Eukaryotic: possessing a true nucleus, with a nuclear membrane, nucleolus, and
chromosomal apparatus.
2. Heterotrophic regarding carbon due to the absence of chlorophyll pigments.
3. Absorptive: unlike animals that ingest food and plants that assimilate it, fungi absorb
their nutrients by secreting enzymes that catalyze the breakdown of large food molecules into
smaller ones. This is why fungi usually grow in or on their food source.
4. Developing a diffuse, branched, and tubular vegetative structure = the thallus.
5. Reproducing through spores that are produced in very large quantities and then
dispersed in the air, water, or soil.
6. Non-flagellated spores, therefore non-motile; only archaic fungi (chytridiomycetes)
retain swimming spores with a single flagellum.
7. Having a chitinous cell wall: chitin, which is also found in the exoskeleton of
arthropods, provides structural support and protection.
B. Morphological Characteristics:
The thallus of fungi is generally composed of elongated, branched, tubular, and very
slender filaments, which together form the mycelium.
These filaments grow very quickly: a single fungus can produce over one kilometer of
new filaments in 24 hours.
Mycelial filaments can be divided by walls or septa; when they have these divisions,
they are called hyphae, which are found in higher fungi known as Septomycetes.
Some filaments may not have septa or have very few; these are called siphonous or
coenocytic, meaning they have a multinucleate cytoplasm. These are found in lower fungi
known as Siphonomycetes.
In some cases, the vegetative structure is not mycelial; it is represented by isolated
unicellular globules or cells grouped in colonies. This is particularly true for yeasts.
 C. Cytological Characteristics:
− Fungi have a chitinous cell wall.
− The plasma membrane is rich in ergosterol, which is specific to fungi and similar to
cholesterol in animals.
− The nucleus of fungi has the typical structure of eukaryotes, including a nuclear
membrane, nucleolus, and chromosomal apparatus.
− Absence of chloroplasts.
− The cytoplasm contains vacuoles and produces glycogen.

III. Nutrition of Fungi :

Like animals, fungi are heterotrophic; However, they are distinguished by their absorptive
nutrition.
Heterotrophy can concern other elements: N,S, growth factors…….
Fungi draw preformed organic matter from their environment, behaving according to the
species in saprotrophs, Parasites, or symbionts.
I. Saprotrophy :
Saprotrophic species obtain the organic matter they need by breaking down dead material,
often in collaboration with bacteria.
They obtain their organic nutrition and redistribute simpler elements in the ecosystem,
contributing to the recycling of organic matter.
II. Parasitism:
Parasites draw organic matter from living hosts, causing harm to them. About 20% of
known fungal species are parasites.
Fungi can attack plants, insects, animals, as well as bacteria and other fungi.
III. Symbiosis:
The word "symbiosis" means living together (sym: with, biosis: life); it refers to the union
with another organism in a mutually beneficial association.
The heterotrophic fungus associates with an autotrophic organism, which can be:
- A green alga, forming a lichen;
- A root plant, where they form structures called mycorrhizae;
- An insect or a bacterium.
Mycorrhiza: Mycorrhiza, meaning "fungal root," is a widespread and crucial symbiosis
between fungi and root plants (found in at least 80% of vascular plants).
Mycorrhizal fungi benefit their host plants by:
- Increasing water and mineral absorption;
- Protecting the host by secreting antibiotic substances against microorganisms.
In return, the fungus receives preformed organic carbon from the plant.
Lichen: A lichen is a mutualistic relationship between a fungus and algae.
The alga provides the fungus with food, while the fungus offers moisture and
protection to the alga.

IV. Reproduction of Fungi:

Reproduction in fungi is a complex and variable process, forming the basis for their
classification. There are two types: sexual and asexual reproduction, both involving non-
motile spores, except in the Chytridiomycetes class.
 Asexual reproduction is more common when conditions are favorable. It is simpler, faster,
and requires less energy, producing many identical individuals.
Sexual reproduction is rarer and occurs when conditions become unfavorable. It allows for
genetic mixing, leading to new individuals and helping to preserve the species, but it is more
energy-intensive and limited.

V. CLASSIFICATION OF FUNGI:
1. Terminology Used in Taxon Nomenclature:
Taxon: Terminology
Division: MYCOTA
Subdivision: MYCOTINA
Class: MYCETES
Subclass: MYCETIDEAE
Order: ALES
Suborder: INEAE
Family: ACEAE
Subfamily: OIDEAE
Tribe: EAE

2. Current Systematics of Fungi:

The fungal kingdom is currently divided into five main divisions:
• Chytridiomycota: Ancient fungi considered the evolutionary base of fungi, these are
microscopic or small species, mainly aquatic, with uni-flagellated spores.
• Zygomycota: Often very discreet and microscopic, these species have non-flagellated
spores, siphonous mycelium, and are primarily saprotrophic. They appear as molds or
parasites on plants and animals.
• Glomeromycota: These species have non-flagellated spores and siphonous mycelium
but do not reproduce sexually. They include mycorrhizal fungi.
• Ascomycota and Basidiomycota: These are much larger groups that include all large
fungi and many microscopic species. They share non-flagellated spores and septate
mycelium, capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction, but differ in their sexual
reproduction methods.

IV. IMPORTANCE OF FUNGI:

1. Utility of Fungi:
-Saprotrophs, known as the "garbage collectors of the forest," are vital for life. They work
with bacteria to break down dead matter, returning important chemicals to the soil and
releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
This process allows plants and animals to reuse nutrients.
Their ability to degrade matter is being researched for removing toxic waste.
- Parasitism is exploited in biological control to manage certain harmful insects.
- Lichens are excellent bioindicators of air pollution; their presence allows us to estimate the
pollution level in a given area.
- In the food industry, some yeasts and molds play an essential role in fermentation for
baking, cheese-making, and brewing.
- In biotechnology, Ashbya gossypii (a parasitic fungus of cotton and coffee plants) is used
in the production of vitamins A, B2, and D.
- In pharmacy, several species of fungi are used in the synthesis of medications:
• Many antibiotics, such as penicillin, which was the first widely used antibiotic, are
produced by fungi.
• Cyclosporine is a striking example of the potential value of substances derived from
fungi; it is a "miracle drug" isolated from Tolypocladium inflatum and is used in organ
transplants to suppress immune reactions that can lead to rejection.
2. Harmful effects of fungi:
- In their decomposition activities, fungi often come into direct conflict with human
activities. Some attack nearly everything imaginable: fabrics, paint, leather, waxes,
aviation fuel, oil, wood, cable insulation, photographic film, and even the coatings on
optical equipment lenses. Food….
- Accidentally eating certain poisonous species, like toxic mushrooms, can cause
poisoning that is sometimes deadly.
- Some fungi produce very toxic substances called mycotoxins, such as aflatoxins, which
grow on peanut seeds and can cause recurring liver disease in the developing world.
- Phytopathogens, estimated to be over 5,000 species, attack cultivated plants and pose a
significant challenge for agriculture.
- Other fungi, estimated to be over 150 identified species, cause serious diseases in
domestic animals and humans, especially in individuals with weakened immune
systems, such as those with AIDS receiving treatment in hospitals. About 80% of deaths
related to this disease are due to pneumonia caused by a parasitic fungus.