Laura Smith
Basidiomycota is a large and diverse phylum of fungi that includes mushrooms, puffballs, stinkhorns, jelly fungi, yeasts, rusts, and smuts. Basidiomycota are typically filamentous fungi composed of hyphae. Most species reproduce sexually with club-shaped spore-bearing organs called basidia, which produce basidiospores. The basidia are borne on fruiting bodies called basidiocarps, which are what we typically think of as mushrooms. Therefore, it can be said that Basidiomycota includes true mushrooms. However, it is important to note that not all members of Basidiomycota are mushrooms, and the phylum also encompasses a variety of other fungi and related organisms.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Fungi | Club Fungi |
| Phylum | Basidiomycota |
| Reproduction | Sexual (with some species reproducing asexually) |
| Spores | Basidiospores |
| Spore Bearing Organ | Basidium (club-shaped) |
| Fruiting Body | Basidiocarp (mushroom) |
| Habitat | Fields, Supermarket shelves, Lawns, Tree bark |
| Examples | Shelf Fungi, Smuts, Rusts, Toadstools, Chanterelles, Puffballs, Stinkhorns |
| Toxicity | Some Basidiomycetes produce deadly toxins |
| Edibility | Most edible fungi belong to the Basidiomycota phylum |
| Life Cycle | Includes dikaryotic stage with two nuclei |
| Microscopic Features | Gill-like structures, Clamp connections |
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What You'll Learn
Basidiomycota are club fungi
Basidiomycota, a large and diverse phylum of fungi, are commonly referred to as club fungi due to their club-shaped fruiting bodies called basidia. These reproductive organs are typically borne on large and conspicuous fruiting bodies called basidiocarps, which are commonly recognised as mushrooms.
Basidiomycota are filamentous fungi composed of hyphae, which are thread-like structures that form the vegetative body of the fungus. The basidia are the specialised, usually club-shaped end cells of these hyphae. Each basidium contains four chambers that house the developing basidiospores, the spores of the fungus. The basidiospores are the result of the fusion of nuclei from two different mating strains, followed by meiosis. This process leads to the formation of four haploid basidiospores, which then disperse and germinate to generate new hyphae, continuing the lifecycle of the fungus.
Basidiomycota include a wide variety of fungi, such as mushrooms, jelly fungi, shelf fungi, puffballs, stinkhorns, yeasts, rusts, and smuts. Most edible fungi belong to this phylum, although some basidiomycetes produce deadly toxins. The group also includes important plant pathogens, such as smuts and rusts, and other distinctive fungi like toadstools.
The lifecycle of basidiomycota involves both sexual and asexual reproduction. The dikaryotic stage, where each cell contains two different haploid nuclei, is dominant in the lifecycle. During this stage, the basidia are formed, and the fusion of nuclei occurs, leading to the production of basidiospores. The basidiospores then disperse and germinate, starting the development of new hyphae and the formation of new fruiting bodies.
Basidiomycota, or club fungi, play an important role in the ecosystem, particularly in the carbon cycle, by decaying organic matter, including wood. They exhibit a diverse range of characteristics, with some producing large and spectacular fruiting bodies, while others are known for their hallucinogenic properties.
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They reproduce sexually
Basidiomycota, a phylum of fungi, includes mushrooms, puffballs, stinkhorns, jelly fungi, yeasts, rusts, and smuts. Basidiomycota can reproduce both sexually and asexually. However, the focus here is on sexual reproduction.
Basidiomycota reproduce sexually in the fruiting body, in specialised structures called basidia (singular: basidium). Basidia are club-shaped, swollen terminal cells of a hypha, which are the reproductive organs of these fungi. They are often contained within the familiar mushroom. The sexual spores, called basidiospores, form in the basidia.
For sexual reproduction to occur, two different mating strains are required for the fusion of genetic material in the basidium. The nuclei of these two different mating strains fuse (karyogamy), resulting in a diploid zygote that undergoes meiosis. The haploid nuclei then migrate into four different chambers appended to the basidium, where they become basidiospores. Each basidiospore then generates monokaryotic haploid hyphae.
The resulting mycelium is called the primary mycelium. Mycelia of different mating strains can combine to produce a secondary mycelium, which contains haploid nuclei from both mating strains. This is the dominant dikaryotic stage of the basidiomycete life cycle, where the fungi remain until a mushroom is generated. The secondary mycelium eventually generates a basidiocarp, a fruiting body that protrudes from the ground, which is what we typically think of as a mushroom.
The distinction between heterothallic and homothallic compatibility represents a fundamental breeding system classification in Basidiomycota. Heterothallic basidiomycete species can only reproduce sexually between gametes carrying distinct alleles at both MAT loci, preventing intrahaploid mating. On the other hand, homothallic species produce universally compatible gametes, allowing intrahaploid mating with their clonemates.
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They include edible and toxic mushrooms
Basidiomycota is a large and diverse phylum of fungi that includes mushrooms, yeasts, jelly fungi, shelf fungi, puffballs, stinkhorns, and rusts and smuts. Basidiomycota are typically filamentous fungi composed of hyphae. They reproduce sexually, with a club-shaped spore-bearing organ (basidium) that usually produces four sexual spores (basidiospores). The basidia are borne on fruiting bodies (basidiocarps), which are large and conspicuous in all but the yeasts, rusts, and smuts.
Basidiomycota includes both edible and toxic mushrooms. Most edible fungi belong to the phylum Basidiomycota. Examples of edible Basidiomycota include the ear fungus (Auricularia auricula-judae), a brown, gelatinous fungus found on dead tree trunks in moist autumn weather.
However, some Basidiomycota produce deadly toxins. For example, Cryptococcus neoformans causes severe respiratory illness. Other toxic mushrooms within Basidiomycota include the ivory funnel mushroom (Clitocybe dealbata) and the false champignon mushroom (Clitocybe rivulosa), which are found in the grasslands of Europe and North America. These mushrooms contain high concentrations of muscarine and have been linked to recorded deaths.
It is important to accurately identify mushrooms before consumption to avoid toxicity. Cases of fatal mushroom poisoning have been reported, and mushroom poisoning can lead to adverse effects such as liver failure, bradycardia, chest pain, seizures, gastroenteritis, intestinal fibrosis, renal failure, erythromelalgia, and rhabdomyolysis.
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They are involved in symbiosis
Basidiomycota is a major division (or phyla) of the kingdom Fungi, whose members are typically characterised by the presence of a basidium, a microscopic reproductive structure where sexual spores are produced. The presence of basidia is one of the main diagnostic features of Basidiomycota. The group's name comes from this structure, which means "little pedestal". Basidiomycota includes mushrooms, yeasts, rusts, puffballs, stinkhorns, jelly fungi, and more.
Basidiomycota are involved in symbiosis. They are very important for the ecosystem and for humans. Ecologically, they are vital for decaying dead organic matter, including wood and leaf litter, and are thus vital for the carbon cycle. Some also form important symbiotic relationships, such as mycorrhizal associations with the roots of plants. In these relationships, the fungus receives carbohydrates from the plant's photosynthesis, and the plant gains the mycelium's very large surface area to absorb water and mineral nutrients from the soil. Some are even cultivated by ants. For humans, some Basidiomycota are a source of food.
Basidiomycota are typically filamentous fungi composed of hyphae. Most species reproduce sexually with a club-shaped spore-bearing organ (basidium) that usually produces four sexual spores (basidiospores). Basidia are borne on fruiting bodies (basidiocarps), which are large and conspicuous in all but the yeasts, rusts, and smuts. The lifecycle of basidiomycetes includes sexual and asexual reproduction. Most fungi are haploid through most of their life cycles, but the basidiomycetes produce both haploid and dikaryotic mycelia, with the dikaryotic phase being dominant.
Basidiomycota yeasts are known to be lichen symbionts, together with unrelated fungi (typically ascomycetes) and green algae or cyanobacteria. These yeasts are found in the cortex of many macrolichens.
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They are used in the study of meiosis
Basidiomycota, or club fungi, are a large and diverse phylum of fungi that includes mushrooms, puffballs, and stinkhorns, among others. Basidiomycota typically reproduce sexually, with a club-shaped spore-bearing organ called a basidium that usually produces four sexual spores, or basidiospores. This is in contrast to most other fungi, which reproduce asexually.
Basidiomycota are used in the study of meiosis, the process by which the nuclei of two different mating strains fuse (karyogamy) to form a diploid zygote, which then divides to form haploid cells. In Basidiomycota, this process occurs in the basidia, which are the reproductive organs of these fungi. The nuclei of two different mating strains fuse, forming a diploid zygote that then undergoes meiosis, producing haploid basidiospores. These basidiospores are then released and can start new haploid mycelia, or fungal threads.
The study of meiosis in Basidiomycota has provided valuable insights into the genetics and life cycles of these fungi. For example, the dikaryotic stage of the basidiomycete life cycle, where two haploid nuclei exist within the same cell, is the dominant stage. This stage can last for years, decades, or even centuries. Additionally, the basidiospores produced through meiosis can be dispersed, with each one starting a new haploid mycelium and continuing the life cycle.
Basidiomycota have also been used to study the impact of meiosis on the compatibility of resulting haploid cells. Following meiosis, the resulting haploid basidiospores have nuclei that are compatible with 50% (if bipolar) or 25% (if tetrapolar) of their sister basidiospores. This is because the mating genes of the resulting haploid cells must differ.
Furthermore, the study of meiosis in Basidiomycota has led to the development of model organisms for research in ecology, physiology, and genetics. For example, Pisolithus microcarpus is a well-studied species of Basidiomycota that has been used to analyze the events involved in basidiosporogenesis and meiosis using advanced microscopy techniques.
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Frequently asked questions
Basidiomycota is a large and diverse phylum of fungi (kingdom Fungi) that includes mushrooms, jelly and shelf fungi, puffballs, stinkhorns, yeasts, rusts, and smuts. They are typically filamentous fungi composed of hyphae.
Most species of Basidiomycota reproduce sexually with a club-shaped spore-bearing organ (basidium) that usually produces four sexual spores (basidiospores). The nuclei of two different mating strains fuse (karyogamy), forming a diploid zygote that undergoes meiosis to produce haploid nuclei that become basidiospores.
Yes, Basidiomycota includes true mushrooms, which are easily recognizable by their club-shaped fruiting bodies (basidia). The “gills” on the underside of the mushroom cap are actually compacted hyphae on which the basidia are borne.
