Question 1

What type of symbiotic relationship is exemplified by mycorrhizal fungi?

Accepted Answer

Mycorrhizal fungi have a mutualistic relationship with the plants they associate with. The fungi provide the plant with essential nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen while the plant provides the fungi with sugars needed for growth.

Question 2

Baker's yeast is a single-celled ascomycete that is used in bread making.Why does yeast make bread dough rise?

Accepted Answer

Yeast produces carbon dioxide as a by-product of fermentation, which gets trapped in the dough and causes it to expand and rise.

Question 3

In what way are bacteria and fungi similar?

Accepted Answer

Bacteria and fungi both play crucial roles in their ecosystems, such as decomposing organic matter and recycling nutrients, which is a similarity in their ecological functions.

Question 4

Fungi are decomposers and obtain their food by ________ the organic molecules released by the action of secreted enzymes.

Accepted Answer

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Question 5

An ________ is a nonphotosynthetic plant-a third member of a symbiotic relationship involving a fungus and another plant,obtaining nutrients from these two members.

Accepted Answer

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Question 6

Fungal hyphae in which two genetically distinct kinds of nuclei occur together are said to be ________.

Accepted Answer

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Question 7

Which molecule would be an indicator of fungal contamination in a drug preparation?

Accepted Answer

Chitin is a polymer that is found in the cell walls of fungi and is not present in other organisms such as animals or plants. Therefore, the presence of chitin in a drug preparation would indicate fungal contamination.

Question 8

Fungi,together with bacteria,are the principal ________ in the biosphere.

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Question 9

Which gene product would be most useful for distinguishing between a microsporidian and a blastocladiomycete?

Accepted Answer

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Question 10

Why are neocallimastigomycetes being studied for biofuel production?

Accepted Answer

Neocallimastigomycetes are capable of breaking down complex structural polysaccharides, such as cellulose and hemicellulose, into fermentable sugars through a process called cellulolysis. This makes them an attractive candidate for biofuel production because they can potentially generate fuel from agricultural waste, wood chips, and other plant material that is not typically used for food production.

Question 11

Why are microsporidia so hard to classify?

Accepted Answer

Microsporidia are difficult to classify because their intracellular parasitic lifestyle has led to a reduction in functional organelles, making them appear more primitive and complicating their classification among eukaryotes.

Question 12

Fungi exist mainly in the form of slender filaments,barely visible to the naked eye,which are called ________.

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Question 13

A type of fungi that has been long useful for baking,brewing,and wine making,and is now becoming very important in genetic research is ________.

Accepted Answer

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Question 14

What type of symbiotic relationship is exemplified by athlete's foot?

Accepted Answer

Athlete's foot is a type of fungal infection caused by the fungus Trichophyton. The fungus benefits by living on the human host and obtaining nutrients, while the host suffers from the negative effects of infection such as itching, peeling skin, and discomfort. This is an example of parasitism.

Question 15

Why are fungi used to clean oil spills?

Accepted Answer

Fungi are used to clean oil spills because they naturally break down organic molecules, including those found in crude oil. They use the hydrocarbons in the oil as a food source, ultimately degrading it over time. Unlike other cleanup methods that may harm the environment or disrupt ecosystems, fungi are a natural solution that helps to clean up the oil without causing further damage.

Question 16

Alexander Fleming kept finding mold contamination that was killing his bacterial cultures.This observation eventually lead to the development of the antibiotic penicillin.Why would a fungus produce a compound that is selectively toxic to bacteria?

Accepted Answer

Fungi and bacteria often compete for resources in their natural environments. The production of compounds toxic to bacteria by fungi may provide a competitive advantage for the fungi by limiting the growth of bacterial competitors. This is known as allelopathy.

Question 17

Mushrooms are fungi belonging to the phylum ________.

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Question 18

The yeasts,common molds,morels,and truffles are common and economically important and also found in the group of fungi called ________.

Accepted Answer

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Question 19

In leaf cutter ant colonies,the ants clip leaves to feed a fungus garden and then the ants feed on the fungus.Is this a mutualistic relationship?

Accepted Answer

The leaf cutter ants have a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with the fungus. The ants clip leaves to feed the fungus, which in turn breaks down the leaves and provides the ants with a nutritious food source. The fungus is only able to survive in the controlled environment of the ant colony, while the ants are dependent on the fungus for their survival. Therefore, this is a mutualistic relationship.

Question 20

The symbiotic relationship between green algae or cyanobacteria and fungi produce ________.

Accepted Answer

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Quiz 31: Fungi