Mycology is the study
of fungi. Fungi have several features that distinguish them from
other organisms
1. They have a filametous
branching of system of cells with apical growth, lateral
branching and
heterotrophic nutrition.
2. They are
characterized by a life-cycle that begins with germination from spore or
a resting structure,
followed by a period of growth a the substrate is exploited to
produce a biomass
3. Finally, there is
a period of sporullation where propapules are formed that can be
disseminated from the
parent mycelium.
- Importance of Fungi
1. They are vital to
the biosphere for many reasons not the least, for their
decomposing
activities on dead substrate that ensure the release of nutrients like
carbon, minerals and
nitrogen back into the atmosphere(i.e. act as decomposers of
complex organic
materials in the environment)
2. They are major
cause of plant diseases
3. They also cause
many diseases of animals and man.
19
4. Fungi, especially
the yeasts are essential to many industrial processes involving
fermentation e.g.
bread, wine and beer making.
5. They are important
in the manufacture many antibiotics.
6. Fungi are
important research tool in the study of fundamentals of biological
process.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment