MOVEMENT - Fungi themselves don't move, but they can spread by forming reproductive spores that are carried on wind and rain.
REPRODUCTION - Mould reproduction:
Moulds reproduce by the creation of spores. The spores are produced asexually in the sporangia. Each spore contains identical genetic material to the original mould. When they are mature, the spores are released form the sporangia and are distributed. The spore will develop into a mould that is exactly the same as the original if it lands in suitable conditions. Mushrooms and toadstools grow in the same way as moulds but with much larger and more complex structures.
Stages of reprocution in a Fungi:
1. Mature moulds grow sporangia which rise above the surface of the food. The sporangia produce spores.
2. Mature spores are released and distributed by wind, water or insects.
3. If a spore falls on a good food source in favourable conditions, the spore will begin to grow.
4. The mould develops by growing hyphae into the food. These are feeding hyphae, gaining nourishment for growth.
SENSITIVITY - sensitive to fungicides
GROWTH - very short life span, though it differs greatly from species to species. Some types may live as short as a day, while others survive anywhere between a week and a month. The life cycle of a fungus begins as a spore and lasts until germination.
Growing Fungi:
1. Wrap up a piece of moist bread in a plastic bag and put it in a warm place for a week.
2. Take the bread out and view under a binocular microscope or a hand lens.
3. Use a microscope to examine the finer parts of any mould you can see.
RESPIRATION - just like humans, fungi require oxygen to survive. They simply absorb the oxygen to "breathe"
EXCRETION - fungi don't really excrete, they just use the material that they have absorbed to create spores and grow bigger and bigger
NUTRIENTS - The hyphae are the feeding structures of the fungus. They form long threads through the food as the fungus grows bigger, breaking the food down as they grow. When the fungus is mature, reproductive hyphae grow up out of the food and develop sporangia.
Extra Cellular Digestion in Fungi:
1. Fungal hyphae secrete enzymes into their food.
2. Enzymes digest the food.
3. Digested food is absorbed into the fungal hypha by diffusion