Fungi Diversity Exercise

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI, BLUE ASH COLLEGE

BIOLOGY-1081L: BIOLOGY LABORATORY I
DIVERSITY AND REPRODUCTION OF FUNGI
LAB EXERCISE
Today in lab you will examine representatives of three major groups of true fungi, the
zygomycetes, the ascomycetes, and the basidiomycetes. ou will also examine lichens, a
symbiosis between fungi and algae. !fter examining the specimens, you will"
#e able to distinguish the mycelium from the fruitin !"#y
$nderstand general anatomical and reproductive differences between
zygomycetes, ascomycetes, and basidiomycetes
$nderstand how a lichen is a symbiosis between fungi and algae
%t will be helpful to refer to the bac&ground handout as you proceed.
$y"myc"t%
'ygomycetes are fungi that do not form large fruitin !"#ie&. %nstead, their fruiting
bodies ('y"&("r%ni%) are generally microscopic.
*) Examine the moldy bread under the dissection scope, and s&etch in your lab noteboo&.
+abel mycelium and fruitin !"#ie& if you observe them.
,) -bserve a slide of .hizopus under the light microscope. %n your lab noteboo&, s&etch
and label hyphae and zygosporangia. !s a guide, see Fig. , in the fungi bac&ground
handout.
A&c"myc"t%
!scomycetes are commonly called &%c funi, and they range from single/celled 0yeasts0
to multicellular mycelia that produce large fruiting bodies visible to the na&ed eye.
*) 1orels (genus Morchell) produce large fruiting bodies that are prized as food items.
Examine the preserved morels (Morchell) in the display jar, and s&etch in your lab
noteboo&. !re these part of the mycelium, or are they fruitin !"#ie&2
,) !scomycetes release spores from microscopic cannon/li&e structures called %&ci.
+oo& at ascocarps from a representative ascomycete, !e"#", under the light microscope,
and s&etch in your lab noteboo&. Fully/loaded ascocarps should have eight %&c"&("re&
each.
!s a guide, see Fig. 3 in the fungi bac&ground handout.
*
Fungi Diversity Exercise
3) easts are atypical fungi since they are single/celled and do not exhibit the body plan
of mycelium4fruiting body. Examine ba&er5s yeast (Scchro$%ce& cere'#&#e) on
microscope slide and s&etch in your lab noteboo&.
B%&i#i"myc"t%
#asidiomycetes, also &nown as clu! funi, are the most recognizable of the fungi due to
the prominent !%&i#i"c%r(& (mushrooms) produced during reproduction.
*) Examine the large plastic model that depicts several different soil/based basidiomycete
species. 6ote that the fruiting body of each grows out of a subterranean root/li&e
mycelium. From left to right, the species are A$(#) *hllo#+e&, ,eroco$-& .+#-&,
A/r#c-& .#)or0-#&, Srco+o( #$.r#c)-&, and O-+e$( r+#c). Amanita phalloides is
commonly called 7death cap8, is extremely toxic to consume (some of its toxins inhibit
.6! polymerase), and it is a mycorrhizal fungus of trees. 1any other amanitas are
extremely toxic, and they can often be distinguished from other mushrooms by the fringe/
li&e veil or ring around the stal& of the fruiting body. Xerocomus badius (the bay bolete)
is an example of a common edible mushroom, and bolete fungi such as these release
spores from pores underneath the cap of the mushroom. Agaricus bitorquis is another
example of an edible mushroom, and this species is related to the common button
mushroom (A/r#c-& .#&*or-&) sold in grocery stores. Sarcodon imbricatus (shingled
hedgehog) is an edible type of tooth fungus which releases spores from tiny tooth/li&e
structures underneath the cap. Oudeman (Xerula) radicata (the deep root mushroom) is
unusual for its mycelium that reaches deep into the soil.
999Note that you should never attempt to eat wild mushrooms unless the fungi have
been positively identified by an epert! "o the novice# many etremely toic species are
easily confused with edible species!
:&etch an example soil/based basidiomycete in your lab noteboo&, labeling mycelium
and fruiting body.
,) !lso on display are a variety of brac&et (shelf) fungi. These basidiomycete fungi
produce fruiting bodies that project out from the sides of trees, logs, or fallen stic&s.
:ome produce only temporary fruiting bodies, while others produce permanent fruiting
bodies that grow from year to year and are almost wood/li&e in consistency. These
species may feed on decaying wood, and some species feed on the living tissues of trees
and are parasitic.
:&etch example brac&et fungi in your lab noteboo&.
3) Examine a slide of the spores of Co*r#(-&, a basidiomycete fungus, under the light
microscope. #asidiomycetes do not have cannon/li&e structures to disperse their spores.
%nstead, their spores are clustered in groups of four and attached to a structure called a
,
Fungi Diversity Exercise
!%&i#ium. The gills under the cap of a mushroom are lined with basidia which release
!%&i#i"&("re& into the air.
:&etch and label basidium and basidiospores in your lab noteboo&. !s a guide, see Fig.
; in the fungi bac&ground handout.
Lic)en&
+ichens are mutualisms between fungi and photosynthetic organisms. The fungi partner
(myc"!i"nt) can be an ascomycete or basidiomycete, and the photosynthetic partner
(()"t"!i"nt) can be eu&aryotic green algae or pro&aryotic cyanobacteria (Fig. <). The
photobionts are contained in the mycelial mass of the mycobiont, and the mycobiont
gives the lichen its overall shape. The mycobiont feeds on its photobionts through
specialized hyphae, and in turn the photobionts receive protection from drying out and
intense sunlight. +ichens can adopt a variety of growth forms including flast crusts
(cru&t"&e), leafli&e (f"li"&e), or branched (frutic"&e). =hen lichens reproduce, they
often produce small mushroom/li&e fruiting bodies.
*) %n your lab noteboo&, s&etch example lichens, and note whether they are crustose,
foliose, or 1r-)#co&e. Do any of these lichens loo& li&e they have reproductive structures2
,) Examine a slide of a cross section through a lichen. %n your lab noteboo&, s&etch and
label the mycelium and the ()"t"!i"nt. !s a guide, see Fig. < in the fungi bac&ground
handout.
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