Name Vaxi Chokshi Biology 102 Section 002 RL
Kingdom Fungi Homework Date 3-20-2015
A. Identify the unknown Fungi specimens:
Unknown A Rhizopus stolonifer
Unknown B Aspergillus niger
Unknown C Penicillium notatum
Unknown D________________________________________
B. Type the answer the following questions. (20 pts. each)
Remember to include a citation after each question (author, year) and a full citation in the literature cited section at the end of the report. If you paste pictures from the web for question 3, remember to cite them.
1. Describe the commercial/industrial uses for Aspergillus. In our everyday lives we consume soft drinks. In making the soft drinks, a key ingredient is citric acid. Because it is …show more content…
Describe the importance of fungi to the forest ecosystem.
Decomposition: Without microbes, organic matter on the forest floor and in the soil would never decompose. The rate at which these microorganisms decompose dead material is directly responsible for the availability of nutrients for plants. As the humidity and temperatures in rainforests are high, conditions are ideal for rapid microbial decomposition. However, the rates of decomposition will differ according to which microorganisms are present, the character of the organic matter, the physical and chemical environment of the soil and so forth. Apparently, microbial and fungal populations are quite sensitive to fluctuations in soil moisture and other disturbances.
Nitrogen fixation: Nitrogen fixation is an essential function of microbes in forests. Without bacteria, which are capable of converting gaseous nitrogen into nitrates, and nitrites, which plants can utilize, rainforest soils would rapidly become depleted of this essential mineral in usable form. Many million tons of nitrogen are converted annually and added to the soil by these organisms. In the many tropical soils which are nutrient-poor, only nitrogen-fixing bacteria allow plants to survive. (Rainforest Conservation Fund,
Kingdom Fungi Homework Date 3-20-2015
A. Identify the unknown Fungi specimens:
Unknown A Rhizopus stolonifer
Unknown B Aspergillus niger
Unknown C Penicillium notatum
Unknown D________________________________________
B. Type the answer the following questions. (20 pts. each)
Remember to include a citation after each question (author, year) and a full citation in the literature cited section at the end of the report. If you paste pictures from the web for question 3, remember to cite them.
1. Describe the commercial/industrial uses for Aspergillus. In our everyday lives we consume soft drinks. In making the soft drinks, a key ingredient is citric acid. Because it is …show more content…
Describe the importance of fungi to the forest ecosystem.
Decomposition: Without microbes, organic matter on the forest floor and in the soil would never decompose. The rate at which these microorganisms decompose dead material is directly responsible for the availability of nutrients for plants. As the humidity and temperatures in rainforests are high, conditions are ideal for rapid microbial decomposition. However, the rates of decomposition will differ according to which microorganisms are present, the character of the organic matter, the physical and chemical environment of the soil and so forth. Apparently, microbial and fungal populations are quite sensitive to fluctuations in soil moisture and other disturbances.
Nitrogen fixation: Nitrogen fixation is an essential function of microbes in forests. Without bacteria, which are capable of converting gaseous nitrogen into nitrates, and nitrites, which plants can utilize, rainforest soils would rapidly become depleted of this essential mineral in usable form. Many million tons of nitrogen are converted annually and added to the soil by these organisms. In the many tropical soils which are nutrient-poor, only nitrogen-fixing bacteria allow plants to survive. (Rainforest Conservation Fund,