Comprehension check

1. Choose the right variant for the multiple-choice statements.

1. Slime molds have a diploid, coenocytic, amoeboid mass that is known as a … .

1. true fungus b. mushroom

c. ascus d. plasmodium

e. water mold.

2. Fungi are never

1. unicellular b. multicellular.

c. eukaryotic d. prokaryotic

e. heterotrophic.

3. Fungi

1. Photosynthesize b. absorb food through their hyphae

c. have leaves d. have true roots

e. contain chloroplasts.

4. Together, the mass of branching hyphae create the body of the fungus, called a … .

1. Plasmodium b. mycelium

c. coenocytes d. slime mold

e. lichen.

5. Some hyphae are coenocytic, having many nuclei within the cytoplasm, and others are divided by … into compartments containing one or more nuclei.

1. Lichens b. mycelia

c. cyanobacteria d. septa

e. none of the above.

6. Slime molds send up … .

1. Mushrooms b. spore-bearing fruiting bodies.

c. seed bearing structures d. leafy parts

e. none of the above.

7. Many true fungi have mycelia that grow in a close, intimate manner with plant roots, where the plants benefit by receiving … and … while the fungus benefits by receiving nutritious … .

1. carbohydrates, nitrogen, phosphorus

2. nitrogen, carbohydrates, phosphorus

3. nitrogen, phosphorus, carbohydrates

4. all of the above e. none of the above.

8. Lichens involve the close association of a … and a … .

1. fungus, chlorophyte b. fungus, green algae

c. cyanobacteria, fungus d. blue-green bacteria, fungus

e. all of the above.

9. When the hyphae of a fungus grow around, sometimes in between, and even within living plant root cells, the association is … .

1. mycorrhizal b. beneficial to the hyphae

c. beneficial to the plant d. all of the above.

e. none of the above.

2. Questions to think about.

1. Define the shared characteristics of organisms in the kingdom Fungi, and contrast this kingdom with the others.

2. List four groups of fungi and explain their differences, and yet the similarities that make them fungi rather than members of another kingdom.

3. What are lichens? Are they fungi? Why?

4. What are mycorrhizal associations? Who benefits from them? How and why?

5. Are all fungi always multicellular? If not, when aren’t they? Give specific examples.

6. What part does a mushroom play in the life history of which fungi?

7. Athlete’s foot is caused by a fungus, yet one never sees any fruiting bodies. Why?

3. Think of 5-7 statements that would contradict the contents of the text. Language focus

1. Match the words that are: a) similar and b) opposite in meaning:

a)		b)
to absorb	to spread	to absorb	to increase
to be composed of	to release	to hide	to liberate
to form	to take in	to separate	moisture
to extend	to consist of	to reduce	to expose
to liberate	to make up	drought	to join

2. Define the following terms:

water mold	fungal spores	mycelium	plasmodium	dikaryons	sac fungi
saprophytes	club fungi	lichen	mycorrhizal	coenocytic	hyphae
associations	imperfect fungi	symbiosis	slime mold	fruiting body	parasitic

3. Match the first half of a sentence in column A with the appropriate second half in column B:

A	B
1. By far the majority of fungal species are terrestrial	a) both are fungi that infect people without ever sprouting fruiting bodies.
2. During its vegetative phase, the slime mold plasmodium moves about slowly,	b) forming four haploid nuclei
3. Slime molds are usually found growing on such decaying organic matter as	c) that constantly leak through the roots.
4. Then the diploid nucleus undergoes meiosis,	d) and they also commonly occur in cold, exposed regions.
6. Imperfect fungi are responsible for ring- worm and athlete’s foot;	e) and reproduce both sexually and asexually.
7. The mycorrhizae benefit by absorbing the chemicals and carbohydrates	f) phagocytically feeding on organic material.
8. Lichens are also associated with dry, exposed soils, such as those in some deserts,	g) rotting logs, leaf litter or damp soil

4. Put the parts of the sentences in the right order:

1. About, the slime, phase, mold, its, plasmodium, moves, during, slowly, vegetative.

2. Resistant, they, high, and, are, temperatures, relatively, to, as well as, low, desiccation, to.

3. Septa, hyphae, into, are, compartments, more, divided, nuclei, containing, by, some, one, or.

4. The, edge, the, are, to, pushed, nuclei, club, the, of.

5. Always, either, are, fungi, members, the, or, Basidiomycetes, Ascomycetes, of.

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