Biology, Fungi, General Terms

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Mycotoxins

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A toxic secondary metabolite produced by organisms of the fungus.

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Aflatoxins

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Aflatoxins are naturally occurring mycotoxins that are produced by many species of Aspergillus, a fungus, most notably Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Aflatoxins are toxic and among the most carcinogenic substances known.

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Anisogamous

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Male and female gametes differ in size and morphology.

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Antheridium - antheridia

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Male gametangium.

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Apothecium - apothecia.

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Cup-shaped structure containing asci.

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Arbuscules

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Finely branched intracellular hyphae within root cortical cells. Formed in vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal associations. Literally a small tree.

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Ascogenous hypha

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Hyphal outgrowth of Ascomycota.

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Ascogonium - ascogonia

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Female gametangium of Ascomycota.

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Ascoma- ascomata

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Fruit body of Ascomycota.

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Ascus - asci

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Enclosed sack containing sexual ascospores.

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Ballistospore

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Spore that is actively shot of from the tip of the sterigma in the Basidiomycota.

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Basidioma - basidiomata.

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Fruit body of Basidiomycota.

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Basidium - basidia

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Diploid cell of mushroom bearing basidiospores.

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Biotroph

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Type of fungal pathogen that establishes a long-term relationship with the living cells or tissues of its host.

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Budding

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Asexual, vegetative reproduction by a parent cell forming a bud at periphery. Daughter cell breaks off leaving bud scar.

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Centriole

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Cylindrical structure comprising nine triplet microtubules connected around the ring by microtubule-associated proteins. Polarizes the mitotic nuclear spindle in chytrid fungi.

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Centrum - centra

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Cellular contents of a perithecium.

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Cephalsporins

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Antibacterial drugs produced from Cephalosporium acremonium.

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Chaeta - chaetae

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Thick-walled, often melanised hair.

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Chitin

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Sugar polymer - constitutient of microfibrils of a fungal cell wall.

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Chitosan

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The de-acetylated form of chitin found in cell walls of pin moulds (Zygomycota).

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Clamydospore

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Thick-walled, resistant asexual spore formed by modification of a hyphal cell.

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Cleistotheclum - cleistothecia

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Enclosed, globose fruit body containing asci.

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Coenocyte

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A coenocyte is a multinucleate cell. It can result from multiple nuclear divisions without accompanying cell divisions, or from cellular aggregation followed by dissolution of the cell membranes inside the mass. Basically mycelium without septa.

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Columella

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Sterile base and septum of sporangium.

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Conidium - conidia

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Asexual spore, germinates directly by germ tube.

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Conidiophore

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Spore bearer, a simple or branched hypha bearing conidiating cells at each tip.

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Coprophilous

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Literally dung-loving - fungi that grow on dung.

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Clamp connection

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Hooked lateral projection of the hyphal wall in the secondary mycellum of a member of the Basidiomycota. Functions to maintainthe dikaryotic nuclear state.

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Crozier

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Hooked tip of ascogenous hypha.

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Heterothallism

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A thallus that is sexually self sterile and must fuse with another thallus of compatible mating type to reproduce.

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Heterotrophy

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Form of nutrition which requires preformed organic sources of carbon.

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Holobasidium

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Basidium formed from a single, aseptate or individual cell.

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Holocarpic

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Total fungal thallus is reproductive.

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Homokaryon

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One nuclear genotype throughout the hyphae of the mycelium.

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Homothallism

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A thallus that is sexually self fertile. It can therefore reproduce by itself.

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Humic acids

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Complex organic acids in soil formed by decomposition of dead plant matter. Related to soil fertility.

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Hypha - hyphae

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Vegetative, filamentous tubes growing by tip growth.

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Inoculum - inocula

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Source or unit of infection or growth.

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Karyogamy

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Nuclear fusion.

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Lamella - lamellae (=gills)

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Vertical plate beneath cap of mushroom.

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Monokaryon

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Each hyphal cell, within a mycellum, contains one haploid nucleus of the same genotype throughout.

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Mycelium

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Collective term for all the hyphae of a colony.

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Mycorrhizae

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Fungus-root association. Aids nutrient uptake by plant - particularly phosphorus.

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Mycotoxicosis

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Non transmissible poisoning from ingestion of mycotoxins.

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Necrotroph

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A type of fungal pathogen that can attack living organisms and kill them usually as a result of a extracellular enzyme and/or toxin activity.

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Oidium - oidia

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A thin-walled, free hyphal cell derived from fragmentation of a hypha or from specialised oidiophore - in some Basidiomycota.

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Ostiole

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Opening at a tip of perithetical neck through which a mature ascus projects prior to spore discharge.

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Papilla - papillae

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Small, rounded process-opening of sporangium.

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Parasite

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An organism that can attack and colonise other living organisms.

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Parisin

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Sex hormone formed buy male gametes of Allomyces macrogynus.

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Penicillins

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Antibacterial drugs produced from Penicillium chrysogenum.

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Perithecium - perithecia

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Flask-shaped fruit body containing asci.

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Phialide

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Bottle-shaped conidiogenous cell from which chains of conidia are formed.

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Phragmobasidium

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Basidium divided by cross walls or longitudinal walls, usually into four cells.

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Pileus - pilei

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Cup of mushroom.

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Plasmodium - plasmodia.

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Multinucleate, motile mass of cytoplasm.

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Plasmogamy

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Fusion between two sexual cells, union of the cytoplasms of two parent mycelia.

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Pseudomycelial

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Elongated cells that remain attached so as to appear like septate hyphae.

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Quorn

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Mycoprotein made from Fusarium graminearum.

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Rhizomorph

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Fusion of many hyphae to form root-like tip-growing structure.

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Saprotrophy

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Form of nutrition where dead and decaying plants or animals are utilized.

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Sclerotium

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Mass of thick-walled, fused hyphae. Resistant structure.

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Secondary homothallism.

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A single thallus that has formed from a binucleate, dikaryotic, spore and can reproduce on its own.

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Septum - septa

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Cross wall in hypha.

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Sirenin

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Sex hormone formed by female gametangia and female gametes in Allomyces macrogynus.

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Somatogamy

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Sexual fusion of two somatic cells.

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Spermatium

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Uninucleate 'spore' or single cell which acts as a fertilization agent.

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Spindle pole body

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Structure that polarizes the mitotic nuclear spindle in members of the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota.

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Spore

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A miniature propagative unit functioning like a seed but different in that it does not contain a preformed embryo.

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Sporangiospore

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Asexual spore formed inside sporangium of Zygomycota.

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Sporangium

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Asexual spore-containing cell.

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Sterigma

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Finger-like projection of basidium bearing basidiospore.

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Stipe

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Stalk of mushroom.

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Stroma

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Cushion of hyphae or sterile mass of hyphae sometimes enclosing fruit bodies.

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Substratum

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Underlying material on which fungus grows.

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Thallus

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Whole body of fungus.

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Trisporic acid

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Sexual hormone (pheromone) produced following mating of + and - strains of pin moulds. Induces formation of zygophores.

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Zygosporangium

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Enclosed, thick-walled structure within which the zygospore is formed (i.e. cell within which sexual spore of pin moulds is formed).

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Zygospore

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Sexual spore of Zygomycota.

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Cyclosporin

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An immunosuppressant drug formed as secondary metabolise by Cylindrocarpon lucidum and Tolypocladium inflatum.

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Cystidium - cystidia

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Sterile spacer cell in hymenlum of mushroom.

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Dikaryon

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Each hyphal cell contains two genetically distinct haploid nuclei.

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Dimorphism

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Two forms - unicellular yeast-like converting to pseudomycelium or true mycellum of filaments.

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Diploid

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A nucleous containing two of each type of chromosome (2n).

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Doliphore septum

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Specialised septum of secondary mycelium of Basidiomycota. Inhibits nuclear migration.

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Etcotrophic

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Outside feeding (type of mycorrhizae).

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Endogenous

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Spores (ascospores) formed inside a special cell (asci).

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Endotrophic

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Inside feeding (type of mycorrhizae).

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Ergotism (St Anthonv's Fire)

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Disease in livestock and humans caused by toxic effects of ergoline alkaloids.

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Exogenous

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Spores (basidiospores) formed on sterigmata outside a special cell (the basidium).

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Fission

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Asexual, vegetative reproduction by splitting off a parent cell, along a cross wall, to form two new cells.

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Fragmentation

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Asexual, vegetative reproduction by hypha braking into individual units.

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Free cell formation

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Process of establishing limits of endogenous ascospores within an ascus.

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Fungi

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Heterotrophic eukaryote.

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Fusidic acid

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Antibacterial compound for treating penicillin-resistant staphylococci.

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Gametangium

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Gamete mother cell.

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Gills

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Plate-like lamella beneath the cap of a mushroom which bears the basidia.

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Griseofulvin

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Antifungal drug produces as a secondary metabolise by Penicillium griseofulvum.

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Haploid

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Nuclei containing only one of each chromosome (n).

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Haustorium - haustoria

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Specialised nutrient-absorbing, intracellular, terminal body. Specialised hyphae used in mycorrhizae.

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Heterokaryon

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Nuclei of several different genetic types throughout the hyphae of the mycelium.

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Ascocarp

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The sexual fruiting body of Ascomycetes.

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Ascospores

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The sexually derived spores.

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Conidium

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Asexual spore.

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Basidiocarp

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Sexual fruiting body of Basidiomycetes.

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Mycosis

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Fungal infections on animals. There can be skin mycosis, systemic mycosis.