· Fungi are eukaryotic. their cells contain a membrane-bound nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles. Fungi have cell walls (plants also have cell walls, but animals have no cell walls).
· Fungi cell walls are composed mainly of a carbohydrate called chitin*, while plant cell walls are composed mainly of cellulose. Fungi are achlorophyllous, which means they lack the chlorophyll pigments present in the chloroplasts in plant cells and which are necessary for photosynthesis. Fungi are therefore incapable of photosynthesis. .
· The (carbohydrate) molecule used to store energy in fungi is glycogen. Glycogen is also used to store energy in the muscle and liver cells of animals but plants have a different storage molecule, called starch.
· Fungi are heterotrophs, which means that they obtain nutrients by absorption. (As also applies to other living things, including plants and animals, fungi need nutrients in order to live, grow and reproduce.) Some fungi, called saprobiontic fungi, release enzymes that help to break-down dead organic matter into chemicals that the fungi can then absorb and process as a food source. Other fungi are parasitic, meaning that they obtain nutrients directly from other living things such as trees, or even people e.g. in the case of the fungus responsible for Athlete's Foot.
· Saprobiontic fungi are saprobiontic organisms, also called saprobionts. They digest their food externally and then absorb the products of that 'digestion'. To do this they form very thin threads called hyphae that enable the fungus to feed on organic matter, e.g. dead and decaying bodies of plants and animals. See how saprobiontic organisms feed.
General characteristics of fungi:
· Fungi are eukaryotic. their cells contain a membrane-bound nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.
Fungi have cell walls (plants also have cell walls, but animals have no cell walls).
· Fungi cell walls are composed mainly of a carbohydrate called chitin*, while plant cell walls are composed mainly of cellulose.
Fungi are achlorophyllous, which means they lack the chlorophyll pigments present in the chloroplasts in plant cells and which are necessary for photosynthesis. Fungi are therefore incapable of photosynthesis. .
· The (carbohydrate) molecule used to store energy in fungi is glycogen.
Glycogen is also used to store energy in the muscle and liver cells of animals but plants have a different storage molecule, called starch.
· Fungi are heterotrophs, which means that they obtain nutrients by absorption.
(As also applies to other living things, including plants and animals, fungi need nutrients in order to live, grow and reproduce.)
Some fungi, called saprobiontic fungi, release enzymes that help to break-down dead organic matter into chemicals that the fungi can then absorb and process as a food source. Other fungi are parasitic, meaning that they obtain nutrients directly from other living things such as trees, or even people e.g. in the case of the fungus responsible for Athlete's Foot.
· Saprobiontic fungi are saprobiontic organisms, also called saprobionts. They digest their food externally and then absorb the products of that 'digestion'. To do this they form very thin threads called hyphae that enable the fungus to feed on organic matter, e.g. dead and decaying bodies of plants and animals. See how saprobiontic organisms feed.