Characteristics of Fungi

Pythium insidiosum is the causative agent of swamp cancer (especially in horses), mainly in wet tropical environments. Infections are characterised by tumour-like masses, which develop mostly on the legs.

This is a correct statement, as fungal cells contain membrane-bound nuclei with chromosomes that contain DNA with noncoding regions called introns and coding regions called exons.
This is ane incorrect statement, as fungi lack chloroplasts and are heterotrophic organisms, so they require preformed organic compounds as energy sources.

Lichens are the indicator of pollution. By studying the behaviour of lichens the type of pollution can be detected. They are the most sensitive and die in SO₂ rich area.

The true fungi or the eumycetes are special types of achlorophyllous thallophytic organisms living a parasitic or a saprophytic mode of existence; they are always heterophytes and never autophytes. They depend on others for food, but all other groups as algae, bryophytes and pteridophytes are chlorophyll containing green plants that are autotrophic.

The algal partner protects the fungal partner by retaining water, serving as a larger capture area for mineral nutrients and in some cases, provides minerals obtained from the substrate.

A. flavus is the major producer of carcinogenic aflatoxins in crops worldwide.

A squamulose lichen is a lichen that is composed usually overlapping "scales" called squamules. If they appear raised from the substrate and appear leafy, the lichen may appear to be a foliose lichen, but the underside does not have a "skin" (cortex), as foliose lichens do.

This is a bacterial disease, which attacks seedlings as they emerge. It thrives in wet, poorly drained and cool soils.

Puccinia graminis tritici belongs to basidiomycotina and causes black rust of wheat. It is internal obligate parasite. It is found everywhere, where wheat is grown. The teleutospore of the fungus causes the rust. They are produced inside teleutosori. These telia form elongated, dark brown to black pustules on the surface of stems and leaves of the wheat.

Association between roots of higher plants, e.g., pine, birch and fungal hyphae is called mycorrhiza. It exhibits the phenomenon of symbiosis. Here both the organisms in association are mutually benefitted. In this, fungal hyphae take nutrition from the plant and in return increase surface area for absorption of water and minerals for the plant. Mycorrhizal roots occur in superficial layers of the soil.

Phytophthora spp. are mostly pathogens of dicotyledons and are relatively host-specific parasites. Many species of Phytophthora are plant pathogens of considerable economic importance. Phytophthora infestans was the infective agent of the potato blight that caused the Great Irish Famine.

This fungi is usually isolated as a saprophytic contaminant. World-wide, known as an insect parasite. Sympodial development of single-celled conidia on a narrow geniculate or zig-zag rachis emanating from a flask-shaped conidiophore.