Fungi are found both as unicellular and multicellular organisms in nature.
Fungi are a kingdom of eukaryotic organisms ranging from single-celled to multi celled. Single cell fungi like yeast have a more simple structure in comparison to those of mushrooms.
To answer the question “is fungi multicellular or unicellular” it is both. Moving up the hierarchy as fungi go from unicellular to multicellular they grow more complex, with distinguishing features and characteristics. They also have developed specialized cells and structures to facilitate their mode of living.
How fungi are multicellular?
Fungi can form multicellular filamentous systems that can be both microscopic and macroscopic.
In the case of moulds, they are made of very fine threads called hyphae produced by repeating cells in lines and branches. Mushrooms on the other have their cells forming large and visible fruiting bodies that hold the spores.
In molds, the hyphae can grow into the air and forms spores at the end of themselves. The fruiting body of mushrooms is made up of densely packed hyphae that divide to generate the various elements of the fungal structure, such as the cap and stem.
Are all fungi multicellular?
All fungi are not multicellular.
Fungi are composed of both unicellular and multicellular organisms. Then some are dimorphic i.e. they can have both unicellular or multicellular forms based on their requirements(can alternate between yeast and hyphal forms).
Kingdom fungi consists of 3 main types of organisms- yeast, mold and mushrooms. But have a broader classification that also includes – rusts, stinkhorns, puffballs, truffle(yes the insanely expensive truffle used in gourmet food) and mildews.
But based on cellular organization they are of 3 types mainly:
Single-celled yeasts. These are the most simple of those found in kingdom Fungi. Next in complexity are molds. These are multicellular and filamentous in nature. The most complex in the organization is the mushrooms.
Mushrooms are Macroscopic filamentous fungi that make up large and visible fruiting bodies. The fruiting body is the top of the mushroom that we see and often consume.
Fungi multicellular characteristics:
- Multicellular fungi mainly include molds, mushrooms and toadstools.
- In the case of molds, the body structure is simply made of hyphae, formed by repeated dividing cells both linearly and branching.
- The hyphae can extend and form spores at the end of the hyphae.
- All multicellular fungi reproduce via spore formation and dispersal.
- They continue to be microscopic.
- In mushrooms, the cells are more specialized. They form mycelium under the ground, that act as roots.
- The body extends above the ground to form a fruiting body with specified parts called the cap and gills.
- The gills are under the cap and contain millions of spores. The gills help in protecting the spores from environmental conditions.
- The gills also facilitate in allowing better spore dispersion. They resemble fish gills and may open to release the spores contained within them into the air and forest floor.
- Toadstools are mushrooms that simply look like toads can sit on them. They can cause anything from nausea, vomiting to even death in case of consumption.
Multicellular fungi examples:
Multicellular fungi include
MOLDS:
Molds are tiny(microscopic) filamentous fungus that feed on plant and animal materials and produce spores. They may be found both indoors and outside and are an important element of our natural environment.
Molds in nature come in a variety of colours, including white, black, green blue and black. “Toxic mould” isn’t a species or a kind of mould, and “black mould” isn’t either. The words “toxic mould” and “black mould” are sometimes used in the news to refer to moulds that generate mycotoxins or to a specific mould, Stachybotrys chartarum. Toxigenic fungus is a term used to describe moulds that create mycotoxins.
The green or white furry things that grow on old bread, fruits and even on the damp walls are all molds.
MUSHROOMS:
A mushroom is the spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus that grows above the earth, on soil, or any other media that it obtains its nutrition from -including plants, buildings or other mushrooms.
The word “mushroom” and its variants may have been derived from the French word “mousseron”, which literally translates to “moss” (mousse). Because it is nearly impossible to tell the difference and distinguish between edible and toxic fungi, a “mushroom” might be edible, poisonous, or unpalatable(tastes terrible).
The most commonly known ones include- Button mushroom(Agaricus bisporus), Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes), King Oyster mushrooms(Pleurotus eryngii) and many more including the Truffle that is more expensive than a gold bar.
Image: Wikipedia
Toadstools are the mushroom species that are poisonous by nature. Structurally they are in no way different from mushrooms and they look very similar as well, apart from the fact that they are poisonous. Some toadstools are often mistaken as edible mushrooms that can cause severe medical issues even death.
Some mushrooms use this fact and have adapted to look like their poisonous counterparts to keep predators like us away. Hence new forest foragers are always cautioned to pick mushrooms only if they are absolutely sure of their identity.
Technically mushrooms and toadstools are the same and also not all toadstools are poisonous and not all mushrooms are safe to consume. Hence the distinction between them is not really as clear as we would like it to be.
One of the world’s most poisonous mushrooms is called the Death Cap (Amanita phalloides) found throughout Europe. Extreme stomach discomfort, vomiting, and bloody diarrhoea can begin within 6 to 12 hours after ingestion, causing fast fluid loss from the tissues and severe thirst.
Image: Wikipedia
Early indicators of substantial involvement of the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system include a decrease in urine production and a dip in blood sugar. If the patient is not treated it can lead to coma and even death. But the worst part is that this deadly mushroom looks very similar to edible ones like the straw mushroom and Caesar’s mushroom.
Also Read:
- Bacterial cell type
- Are yeast multicellular
- Is cyanobacteria unicellular or multicellular
- Photocell sensors
- Does fungi have a cell wall
- What happens to a cell in a hypotonic solution
- Fuel cell aircraft
- Eukaryotic cells vs bacterial cells
I am Trisha Dey, a postgraduate in Bioinformatics. I pursued my graduate degree in Biochemistry. I love reading .I also have a passion for learning new languages.
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