Zygomycota

Zygomycota is a traditional grouping of fungi characterized by mostly coenocytic hyphae and sexual reproduction through resistant zygospores. Molecular studies showed that its members belong to several distinct fungal lineages.

Hypha: A tubular fungal filament that grows and branches to form a mycelium. Zygomycota was distinguished partly by its hyphal structure.
Plasmogamy: Fusion of fungal cell contents that brings genetically distinct nuclei into one cell without immediate nuclear fusion. It begins sexual reproduction before the nuclei unite in zygospore formation.
Rhizopus stolonifer: A common bread mold that produces stolons, rhizoids, and dark sporangia. This familiar species exemplifies the morphology traditionally associated with Zygomycota.
Mucoromycota: A fungal phylum that includes Mucorales and several other lineages formerly classified among zygomycetes. It contains many familiar species formerly assigned to Zygomycota.
Coenocyte: A multinucleate cell or cellular structure lacking complete partitions between nuclei. Many traditional zygomycetes have hyphae with few or no cross-walls.
Karyogamy: Fusion of two nuclei to form a single nucleus during sexual reproduction. Nuclear fusion follows cytoplasmic fusion in the sexual cycle.
Pilobolus crystallinus: A coprophilous fungus that launches its sporangium toward light using internal pressure. Its specialized dispersal illustrates the ecological variety within the traditional grouping.
Zoopagomycota: A fungal phylum containing diverse parasites and predators of animals, protists, and other fungi. It includes lineages once grouped with zygomycetes but distinct from Mucoromycota.
Septum: A cross-wall that divides a fungal hypha into cellular compartments. The contrast between septate and coenocytic hyphae helped characterize the group.
Meiosis: A cell division that halves chromosome number and produces genetically varied cells. It restores the haploid state during sexual reproduction in studied zygomycetes.

Linked from 4 pages