Classification

 Eukarya-Eukaryotes meaning an organism that has a nuclear envelope, does not have circular  chromosomes, DNA is associated with a histone protein, organelles, usually multicellularity, and sexual reproduction (except for a group known as "deuteromyctes"--fungi that don't have sex, but this a false group).

 Fungi-meaning organisms that have a cell wall made of chitin, have a dikaryon generation, reproduce by making sexual/asexual spores, and use absorption as feeding mechanism.

 Zygomycota-sexual spores are thick resting spores called zygospores, asexual spores are made internally inside of a sporangium, aplanospores (nonmotile spores).

 Zygomycetes-aplanospores, gametangia that fuse, coenocytic (usually, no septa).

Mucorales-filamentous, sporangia have multiple nuclei, many are coprophilous (dung dwelling), others live on decaying plant material, saprobic (feed on dead organic material).

Pilobololaceae-coprophilous, coencocytic, produce one sporophore (usually, some produce more than one), have multispored sporangia with a dark cuticle, may be with or without subsporangial vesicle. Zygospores are dark, form at the surface of the substrate.

Pilobolus-obligate coprophiles, have subsporangial vesicle, sporangia is forcibly detached.

©2007 by Ashley Seidler

This page was developed for Biology 203 (Organismal Biology) at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse

Last updated April 27, 2007

Contact me: seidler_ashl@students.uwlax.edu