Tag: biology

Claviceps purpurea is the fungal pathogen causing ergot disease of rye. It infects rye grains, producing sclerotia containing toxic alkaloids. Smut (Ustilago), rust (Puccinia), and powdery mildew (various fungi) are different plant diseases.

Mucor and Rhizopus are fungi belonging to the family Mucoraceae. Mucor is called as pin mould. Rhizopus is known as black mould. They are saprophytic fungi that grow on dead and decaying organic material. The fungal mycelium of Mucor and Rhizopus look like fine cottony threads on the surface of the bread. Thus the correct answer is option C.

In Rhizopus, if gametangial fusion fails, the gametangia may develop into thick-walled spores known as parthenospores.

Reproduction in Mucor takes place by isogametes. Mucor reproduces both in the sexual and asexual methods. While asexual reproduction takes place by the formation of spores, sexual reproduction takes place by conjugation of isogamy. 

The black color of bread mold (Rhizopus) is primarily due to the mass of black-colored sporangia containing spores.

Claviceps purpurea is a fungus that under natural conditions infects rye and triticale and many grasses.

Ergotism is the effect of long-term ergot poisoning, traditionally due to the ingestion of the alkaloids produced by the Claviceps purpurea fungus that infects rye and other cereals, and more recently by the action of a number of ergoline-based drugs.

Heterothallic fungi have sexes that reside in different individuals. The term is applied particularly to distinguish heterothallic fungi, which require two compatible partners to produce sexual spores. Mucor is a heterothallic fungi.

The zygospore of Mucor is covered by a thick wall and is a resting spore which means it undergoes a resting period, to avoid unfavorable environmental conditions