What are sac fungi? What are some examples?
Sac fungi, also known as ascomycetes, belong to the phylum Ascomycota within the kingdom Fungi. Here are some key characteristics and examples of sac fungi:
Characteristics
- Sac fungi are characterized by their reproductive structure, the ascus, which is a sac-like structure containing sexual spores known as ascospores. Typically, each ascus contains four to eight ascospores235.
- They can be unicellular or multicellular and have septate and branched hyphae with simple septal pores35.
- Sac fungi can reproduce both sexually through ascospores and asexually through the production of conidia on specialized hyphae called conidiophores135.
Examples
- Yeast: Particularly Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is used in baking, brewing, and winemaking124.
- Powdery Mildews: Plant pathogens that cause diseases such as powdery mildew of grape and other crops123.
- Molds: Including genera like Aspergillus and Penicillium, some of which are used in antibiotic production and others that are pathogenic135.
- Morels and Truffles: Edible mushrooms highly valued for their culinary use123.
- Cup Fungi: Various species that form cup-shaped fruiting bodies35.
- Lichens: Many ascomycetes form symbiotic relationships with algae to create lichens134.
- Pathogenic Fungi: Such as Claviceps purpurea, which causes ergotism and was historically linked to the Salem witch trials, and Ophiostoma ulmi, which causes Dutch elm disease123.
- Saprotrophic Fungi: Like Chaetomium species, which are important in decomposing cellulose waste and plant materials5.