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Fungi and their life processes

Introducing Fungi

Fungi are split into 3 groups known as moulds, mushrooms and yeasts.
Most fungi are beneficial or useful to us like yeast (bread, beer and wine making), mushrooms (food), those that make antibiotics & those used in composting.
A few fungi are harmful or pathogenic. These include fungi that cause diseases such as athlete’s foot, thrush, ringworm, aspergillosis & pneumocystis pneumonia.
Some fungi are unicellular (made of one cell), such as yeast. Most fungi are multicellular (made of many cells).
Fungi can both be very small (microscopic) and seen only using a microscope, or they can be large enough to be seen with the naked eye (e.g. mushrooms and toadstools).

Scroll down to learn more about the structure and function of the different types of fungi.

Use the buttons below to find out more about the life processes of fungi

Fungal Nutrition

Fungal Respiration

Fungal Growth

Fungal Excretion

Fungal Reproduction

Fungal Diseases

Antibiotics

Human Interactions with Fungi

Sporangium: a structure in which thousands of spores are produced and mature.
Spores: reproductive structures that are dispersed by the wind. They germinate and grow into a new fungus
Hyphae (spreading and absorbing): fine threads that grow through the substrate or food.
Sporangiophore /reproducing hyphum: sporangia develop on the tip of these hyphae. These hold the reproductive structures above ground to aid spore dispersal
Mycelium: a network of hyphae
Reproductive structure/cap: in mushrooms and toadstools the cap contains the spores.