Fungi - Structure and growth

Description:

Fungus body is made up of a number of elongated, tubular filaments known as hyphae. Fungus having filamentous branches or hyphae is known as mycelium.

In yeast the same cell may function in vegetative growth as well as in sexual reproduction. In most other fungi, there are two distinct phases vegetative and reproductive. Vegetative phase is also called assimilative phase.

Fungi extract nutrients from their environment by the process of extracellular digestion and absorption of digested matter in the form of solution. Lack chlorophyll hence cannot perform photosynthesis.

A body which consist of a single cell and is completely converted into a reproductive structure is known as holocarpic.

If only a part of the thallus is used up in the formation of reproductive structure it is called eucarpic.