The 4 major phyla in kingdom fungi
by Ashley Yun
Chytridiomycota
The name is from the Greek chytridion which means "little pot." It is describing the structure. Most of them are found in fresh water or wet soils. Thy have one of two flagellums. The majority of Chytridiomycota are parasites of algae and animals, or they live in organic debris. Chytridiomycota is unicellular with cell walls made out of chitin except for one group. It is the smallest fungi and they are heterotrophic. They also feed on both living and decaying organisms.
Did you know?
A few species in the order of Chytridiales cause plant disease and one species known as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has been shown to cause disease in frogs and other amphibians.
Chytridiomycota
Ascomycota
Ascomycota is also known as sac fungi. Since most fungi are Ascomycota, they form a ascus, a sac-like structure that contains haploid ascospores. The classification takes up more than 75% of the fungi existing. Ascomycota are the yeasts used in baking, brewing, etc. The bodies of ascomycota are eukaryotic cells surrounded by a wall that have chitin and beta glucans. They produce both asexually and sexually, and they are heterotrophic.
Ascomycota - fungi kingdom
Zygomycota
Only takes up 1 true percent of the fungi kingdom. Most of the fungi that is Zygomycota is the mold that affects strawberries and other fruits. Zygomycota can produce both asexually and sexually. They involve the formation of a zygosporangium when they produce sexually. Asexually, they reproduce by nonmotile spores. They usually live close to plants, they're usually in soil on decaying plant matter. Because they decompose, they have a use role in the carbon cycle. The cell walls of Zygomycota are composed of chitin-chitosan.
zygomycota
Basidiomycota
This fungi can also be known as "The Cub Fungi" or "Basidiomycotina." Basidiomycota can be known as both uni or multi cellular. They usually grow on wood chippings or can be decomposers of leaf litter, animal poop, and etc. Since they also decompose, they have a major role in the carbon cycle. They also cause disease in not just animals, but also humans. It can produce sexually and asexually. Basidiomycota takes up 37% of the fungi classification.
Basidiomycota Life Cycle (Fungi)