Oomycete

An oomycete is a fungus-like eukaryote in the stramenopile group Oomycota. Its cellulose-rich walls and reproductive biology distinguish it from true fungi.

Stramenopile: A major eukaryotic lineage whose members often have or descend from cells with hairy flagella. Oomycetes belong to this lineage, despite their resemblance to fungi.
Oospore: A thick-walled sexual resting spore formed by fertilization in oomycetes and related organisms. It lets many oomycetes survive unfavorable conditions between infections.
Phytophthora infestans: An oomycete pathogen that causes potato late blight and tomato blight. It caused the Irish potato famine and remains a major crop pathogen.
True fungi: Organisms in the kingdom Fungi, including yeasts, molds, and mushrooms. Oomycetes resemble fungi but belong to a different eukaryotic lineage.
Hypha: A branching filament that forms part of the body of many fungi and fungus-like organisms. Oomycetes grow as hyphae, a form shared with true fungi.
Sporangium: A structure in which spores are produced or released. Oomycete sporangia release spores or germinate directly, depending on conditions and species.
Potato late blight: A destructive disease of potatoes and tomatoes caused by Phytophthora infestans. It is the best-known crop disease caused by an oomycete.
Chitin: A structural polysaccharide found in fungal cell walls and arthropod exoskeletons. True fungi commonly build walls from chitin, whereas oomycete walls are chiefly cellulose and glucans.
Cellulose: A structural polysaccharide made of glucose units and a major component of plant cell walls. Oomycete cell walls contain cellulose, unlike the chitin-rich walls typical of fungi.
Appressorium: A specialized cell or structure that helps a pathogen attach to and penetrate a host surface. Some plant-pathogenic oomycetes use appressoria to breach host tissues.

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