Fungi are absolutely unique organisms, the signs of which are largely due to their cellular structure. The structure and features of the vital functions of their functional units will be the subject of our article.
Mushroom Features
Mushrooms combine the characteristic features of representatives of several kingdoms of wildlife. On the one hand, they have the characteristics of plants:
- This is an attached lifestyle and growth that continues throughout the entire period of existence.
- The fungal cell has a large vacuole. This organelle is filled with water with minerals dissolved in it.
- Also, like plants, fungi have a cell wall containing carbohydrate cellulose. This substance gives them special strength and rigidity.
- The types of propagation of fungi are also similar to plant ones - most of them are capable of spore formation and the vegetative method.
However, these organisms are characterized by the most important feature of animals. This is a heterotrophic diet. Chloroplasts cannot be detected in fungal cells . But it is these green plastids that determine the ability of organisms to photosynthesis.
Characterization of fungal cells
Mushrooms can be either single or multicellular. An example of the first group is mucor. Its mycelium (mycelium) is one large branched cell that contains several nuclei at once. Surely, a mucor was observed by everyone in the form of a white coating on stale bread and noticed that over time it darkens. This is a sure sign that the cell has already formed spores, with the help of which asexual reproduction of mucor occurs.
Interesting structural features of the cell of the fungus called yeast. They do not form a real mycelium. Yeast is a unicellular microscopic fungus. Their characteristic feature is reproduction by budding.
The collection of fungal cells forms hyphae. These are the threads that make up the mycelium and fruiting bodies. Mushrooms do not have real tissues. The collection of hyphae is called pseudoparenchyma, since its cells are not specialized. Their main function is the absorption of water from the substrate.
Hyphae of cap mushrooms are multicellular. They have an interesting feature. In the partitions that are located between their cells, there are holes. Through them, the cytoplasm together with organoids can move through all the hyphae.
Mushroom Cell Shell
The surface apparatus of fungal cells is represented by a membrane and a wall. The first structure has a typical structure and consists of protein-lipid complexes. The cell wall of fungi is characterized by the presence of a large number of glucose polymers. These include:
- chitin;
- cellulose;
- glucans.
The first one prevails. A similar substance is part of the outer skeleton of arthropod animals. Chitin determines such structural features of the fungal cell as inertness, rigidity and strength.
By its chemical nature, it is a nitrogen-containing polysaccharide with an unbranched structure. The fungal cell wall also contains cellulose, glucans, galactoses, and glycoproteins.
Permanent Cell Structures
Fungal cell organoids are typical of eukaryotes. Their internal content is represented by the cytoplasm, which is a semi-liquid base for the placement of various structures.
In the cells of fungi, centrioles, plastids and organelles of movement cannot be detected. The central position is occupied by the core, in which hereditary information is stored. The functions of synthesis, storage and transportation of various organic substances are carried out by peroxisomes, the Golgi complex and the endoplasmic reticulum. It stores the substance and vacuole, in which a complex glycogen carbohydrate is deposited.
The energy role is played by mitochondria, on the membranes of which ATP molecules are formed. The musculoskeletal system forms the cytoskeleton. In the process of "assembly" of protein molecules ribosomes are also involved, which are located on the surface of granular EPS. And in the splitting of various substances, vesicles containing hydrolytic enzymes take an active part. They are called lysosomes.
The structure of each type of organelle is closely related to the function performed, the combined effect of which determines the coordinated work of a complex cellular structure.
Power way
In the cells of fungi, plastids cannot be detected. First of all, this concerns chloroplasts, the presence of which determines the way of feeding organisms. The features of the fungal cell are that they consume only ready-made substances and are not able to synthesize them on their own. This way of eating is called heterotrophic.
That is why molds settle on food products. Their plaque can be seen on bread, vegetables and fruits. Among the fungi there are many parasitic species. Phytophthora, tinder fungi, powdery mildew settle on plants and feed on their substances.
The body of the cap mushrooms is represented by multicellular mycelium, located underground. It consists of individual threads called hyphae. On the surface of the earth, the mycelium forms fruiting bodies, which we used to call mushrooms. Gifs absorb water and minerals from the soil, acting like a plant root.
Breeding type
The features of fungal cells determine the type of their reproduction. So, yeast is actively budding. At the same time, their cells form a protrusion, which grows, acquires the characteristic features of the structure and is split off. In favorable conditions, this process is very productive. Thanks to this, yeast has long been widely used in bakery and winemaking.
Many types of fungi form asexual reproduction cells - spores. This method is also effective. For example, in the lower layer of the cap of an ordinary boletus, millions of spores can ripen. These small and light cells easily spread by wind, water, insects and humans.
With the help of hyphae, fungi propagate vegetatively. One has only to separate part of the mycelium and place it in a favorable environment, as after a while it will grow and again form fruiting bodies.
The sexual process occurs in fungi with the help of both spores and gametes, which are formed in specialized organs, merging in pairs.
Motion
Mushroom cells are usually motionless. These organisms lead an attached lifestyle, which brings them closer to plants. The static position of the fungi is explained by their dependence on the substrate, which is an indispensable source of nutrition for them. An exception is the spores of lower fungi. They have motion organelles - flagella, which allow them to travel huge distances of several thousand kilometers.
Height
Like plants, these organisms increase in size throughout life. But how many mushrooms then live? Not so long. For example, the cap mushrooms that we collect in the forest reach their maximum size in two weeks. Moreover, the process of the most intensive growth is observed in them in the first five days of development.
First, the foot stops growing, after which the hat “catches up” with it for a few more days. For intensive mushroom growth, conditions are very important. This is a sufficient amount of moisture, heat, the presence of oxygen. No wonder they say, "grow like mushrooms after the rain."
Mushroom variety
Mushrooms are classified according to various characteristics. According to the structure of the mycelium, two groups are distinguished: lower and higher. The first have non-cellular mycelium, which is devoid of partitions. The group of higher ones is the most numerous.
According to the characteristics of the organization, mushrooms are cap and mold, and the last of them are single and multicellular. These organisms are classified by type of nutrition. Parasites live off other living things, often causing serious illness. And saprotrophic fungi, which include the vast majority, do no harm. They decompose the organic matter of the remains of living organisms, being an important part of any ecosystem.
So, the cell of the fungus combines the characteristics of both plants and animals. For this reason, they form a separate systematic unit. Chloroplasts cannot be detected in fungal cells. Therefore, they are able to eat only prepared organic substances - heterotrophically. An animal sign of fungal cells is the storage of glycogen polysaccharide and the presence of chitin. There are a number of plant features of the structure. These include the presence of cell walls and vacuoles.