CAS BI 108 Chapter Notes - Chapter 31: Black Bread Mold, Hypha, Zygomycota
Document Summary
They cannot make their own food: fungi ingest their food by absorbing nutrients from the environment outside of its body. Many fungi do this by secreting hydrolytic enzymes into their surroundings. These enzymes break down complex molecules to smaller organic: the different enzymes found in various fungal species can digest compounds from a wide range of source. Different species live as decomposers, parasites, or mutualists. Absorb nutrients from nonliving organic material, such as fallen logs, animal corpses, and the wastes of living organisms. Absorb nutrients from the cells of living hosts. For example, mutualistic fungi that live inside certain termite species use their enzymes to break down wood. They are multicellular filaments and single cells (yeasts). Many fungal species can grow as both filaments and yeasts few species grow only as yeasts. Hyphae consist of tubular cell walls surrounding the plasma membrane and cytoplasm of the cells. The cell walls are strengthened by chitin, a strong but flexible polysaccharide.
