> See also: > - Reference ![[sexy toad.png|400]] # Mycology > Mycology is the study of fungi **Mycosis**: Indicates a fungal disease - Mycosis (singular) ←> Mycoses (plural) Most species of fungi are multicellular (molds) with the exception of yeasts () Mold is multicellular fungi while yeast is single cellular Many fungi are able to flip between sexual or asexual reproduction ## Fungal Structure **Hyphae:** Long, branching filamentous structure of a fungus - *Aerial Hyphae* are responsible for *spore production* - *Substrate Hyphae* are responsible for *vegetative growth* - These are the reason why mold on household food often appears fuzzy All of hyphae within a *fungal colony* collectively form the **mycelium**. ### Septation > [[Cell Division]] There are two major classes of hyphae based on whether or not the cells are separated by a septum: 1. **Septate** 2. **Non-septate (Coenocytic)** ![[Pasted image 20231010184357.png]] ## Fungal Phyla ![[Pasted image 20231011030715.png|300]] | Name | Asexual Spores | Sexual Spores | Hyphae | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **Zygomycetes** | *Sporangiospores* (produced in sporangium) | *Zygospores* (produced in zygosporangium) | Aseptate | | **Ascomycetes** (Sac Fungi) | *Conidiospores* (produced in the conidiophores) | *Ascospore* (produced in the ascus) | Septate | | **Basidiomycetes** (Club Fungi) | | | | | **Deuteromycetes** (Imperfect Fungi) | | Don’t produce | | Deuteromycetes (imperfect fungi) - do not make sexual spores ## Plating Fungi > [[Cell Cultures]] Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) Unlike bacterial plating, molds *will not produce isolated colonies* Because **yeasts** are single-celled organisms, they can produce isolated colonies and methods such as a *three-streak plate* would be effective.