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Sexual reproduction in fungi can be described as the process of reproduction that takes place by the fusion of their hyphae into the anastomosis. The reproduction process starts when two haploid hyphae get attached to each other. Sexual reproduction in fungi has three stages known as plasmogamy, karyogamy and meiosis. Two of the most common fungus are yeast and rust.
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Key Terms : Fungi, Sexual Reproduction, Plasmogamy, Meiosis, Karyogamy, Homothallic, Heterothallic
Sexual Reproduction in Fungi Definition
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Throughout the procedure of sexual reproduction, a vast number of sperms are created from the parent’s body. The created sperms disperse either floating on the wind or hitching a ride on an animal, as they are lighter and smaller than the seeds. The dispersed sperms land in an environment that will support their development.
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| Chapter Related Topics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Asexual reproduction | Binary fission | Sporulation |
| Mycology | Five Kingdom Classification | where do microorganisms live |
Stages of Sexual Reproduction in Fungi
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There are a number of variety in the sexually reproducing procedure in fungi which includes the following:
- Plasmogamy: Plasmogamy is a state of sexual reproduction where the protoplasms go over a fusion and take the cell to a state of haploid.
- Karyogamy: When the nucleus goes over a procedure of fusion it is well-known as Karyogamy. The fungal cells enter a stage where the two chromosome sets come across each other. At this phase, the whole structure has termed the zygote.
- Meiosis: The meiosis in the fungi takes place as the orgasms start evolving meiospores. It is one of the best sexual means to reproduce in the fungi as total genetic difference takes place with the help of it and this way further unique fungi clusters are formed. These can reproduce more and keep on performing the same.
This sexual reproduction in fungi is termed as teleomorph and consists of four types:
- Ascospore:
It is generally single-celled produced in a sac known as ascus and there are four to eight Ascospore in an ascus but the amount may vary from species to species. The ascospores are organized in a linear order and for few cases, ascospores are commonly long, narrow as well as organized in parallel order.
- Basidiospore:
It is a reproductive spore formed by basidiomycetes. This basidiospore serves as the leading air dispersal unit for the fungi. These single-celled spores born in a club-designed structure are termed the basidium.
- Zygospore:
Zygospores are thick-walled spores shaped when two sexually companionable hyphae or gametangia of certain fungi fuse. In an inappropriate situation, the zygospore germinates to produce single vertical hyphae which form a sporangium and reliefs its spores.
- Oospore:
They are designed within a special female structure termed Oogonium. Fertilization of the egg by male gamete in female sex organ provided to arise by oospoes. There are one or more oospores in every oogonium.
In fungi, sexual reproduction often takes place under unfavorable environmental circumstances. depending on the mating-type being classified into two types:
- Homothallic: When both mating kinds are present in the similar mycelium, it is also known as self-fertile.
- Heterothallic: When both mating kinds are present in two dissimilar mycelia.
Read Also : Heterotrophic Bacteria
Points to Remember
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- Sexual reproduction in fungi is a part of unit 1 Diversity of Living Organisms, chapter 2 Biological Classification and carries a total of 2 to 4 marks.
- Fungus is a group of eukaryotic organisms which are collected in a separate kingdom based on their physical structures, that is, they are neither plants nor animals and members of Kingdom Fungi.
- There are 1,44,000 species of fungi, which comprises yeasts, mushrooms, rusts, mold, and mildews.
- Fungi are free-living microorganisms that are found living inland and in aquatic habitat.
- They are found all over the environment comprising air, water, soil, near water bodies, riverbanks, lakes, seas, plants, animals and clothing.
- Sexual reproduction in fungi helps them to adapt to various kinds of environments.
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Previous Years Questions
- Meiosis takes place in...[NEET 2013]
- The sexual reproduction is absent in….[NEET 1995]
- For union between stock and scion in grafting which one is the first to occur….[NEET 1990]
- A clone is ......… [KCET 2011]
- Animals which possess cleidoic eggs exhibit….[KCET 2011]
- Which among these is not a post fertilization event ?...[KCET 2016]
- Type of asexual reproduction found in Hydra is..[KEAM]
- Which of the following is having longitudinal binary fission ?….[KEAM]
- In grafting, the stock and scion should be joined….
- The mode of asexual reproduction in Euglena is….[CUCET 2010]
- Isogamy is found in...[CUCET 2010]
- In these plants artificial vegetative reproduction is possible through….[GUJCET 2006]
- Apomixis in plant means development of a plant… [BHU UET 2008]
- Which one of the following plants reproduces vegetatively by epiphyllous buds?
Sample Questions
Ques 1. How do fungi sexually reproduce? (2 marks)
Ans. The fungi are sexually combined by fusing the hyphae in an interconnected network termed anastomosis. The reproduction is started when the haploid hyphae from two fungal organisms connect and the cytoplasm from every fuse is together but the nuclei stay separate.
Ques 2. Which are the three kinds of reproduction in fungi? (1 mark)
Ans. The three kinds of reproduction in fungi are asexually by fragmentation, budding, or producing spores. Fragments of hyphae can develop new colonies.
Ques 3. What do you mean by sexual spores of fungi? (1 mark)
Ans. To explain it simply with an example of fungi with identified sexual reproduction includes Zygomycotina, Ascomycotina, and Basidiomycota, which produce zoospores, ascospores, and basidiospores.
Ques 4. Many approaches by which compatible nuclei are kept together in Plasmogamy are as follows? (2 marks)
Ans. The following approaches are mentioned below:
- Gametic copulation
- Gamete-gametangial copulation
- Gametangial copulation
- Somatic copulation
- Specialization
Ques 5. According to mating type, in which two types are they classified? (2 marks)
Ans. The two types in which it is classified are as follows:
Homothallic: When both mating kinds are present in the similar mycelium, it is also known as self-fertile.
Heterothallic: When both mating kinds are present in two dissimilar mycelia.
Ques 6. Write the stages of sexual reproduction in fungi. (3 marks)
Ans. The different kinds of sexual reproduction in fungi which are as follows:
- Plasmogamy: Plasmogamy is a state of sexual reproduction where the protoplasms go over a fusion and take the cell to a state of haploid.
- Karyogamy: When the nucleus goes over a procedure of fusion it is well-known as Karyogamy. The fungal cells enter a stage where the two chromosome sets come across each other. At this phase, the whole structure has termed the zygote.
- Meiosis: The meiosis in the fungi takes place as the orgasms start evolving meiospores. It is one of the best sexual means to reproduce in the fungi as total genetic difference takes place with the help of it and this way further unique fungi clusters are formed. These can reproduce more and keep on performing the same.
Ques 7. Ques. Plasmogamy is said to be the fusion of:
i) Two haploids cells containing their nuclei
ii) Two haploids cells without their nuclei fusion
iii) Egg and Sperm
iv) Two Polar nuclei and sperm (2 marks)
Ans. The correct answer is option b.
Plasmogamy is a fusion of two protoplasts that are compatible together with nuclei in a similar cell and this pair of nuclei is termed as dikaryon. This is a fusion of two haploid cells without nuclear fusion and in such a situation of lower fungi, the Plasmogamy is followed by Karyogamy but in higher fungi, two procedures must be separated according to the time.
Ques 8. Which of the following is the accurate order of three stages in the sexual cycle of fungi? (3 marks)
Ans. The sexual cycle of fungi involves the following three steps and the correct order of these steps are as follows:
- The protoplasm of two motile or non-motile gametes fuses by the procedure of Plasmogamy and as it’s a fusion of two haploid cells leaving nuclear fusion.
- Karyogamy includes nuclei fusion of the two gametes.
- The Meiosis in zygote outcomes in haploid spores.
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