What are
Fungi?
Fungi are eukaryotic organisms, and most are multicellular. By and large, fungi differ from other eukaryotes in nutritional mode, structural organization, growth, and reproduction (Campbell, 616). Molecular studies of various proteins and ribosomal RNA indicate (Campbell, 631) that animals, not plants, are the closest relatives of fungi (Campbell, 616). At the present time it is estimated that as many as 1.5 million species of fungi populate the earth. However, only 70,000 species have been described to date. Of these 70,000 known species most are terrestrial in nature. However, certain species, in particular many of those found in the phylum Chytridiomycota are aquatic (Tree of Life, http://tolweb.org/tree?group=fungi ).
The Fungus Kingdom has been divided into a total of five phyla, which include: Basidiomycota, Ascomycota, Glomeromycota, Chytridiomycota, and Zygomycota (Tree of Life, http://tolweb.org/tree?group=fungi ) . Of these five phyla only Basidiomycota and Ascomycota are covered in detail in this online field guide. For a more detailed description of either of these phyla click on the appropriate hover buttons at left or simply click the highlighted terms above. An in depth guide to each of the aforementioned phyla can be found at the Tree of Life web project: http://tolweb.org/Fungi/2377.
Works Cited
Campbell, Neil A. Biology. 4th ed. Menlo Park: The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing
Company, 1996.
Tree of Life Web Project. 2006. The University of Arizona College of Agriculture and
Life Sciences and The University of Arizona Library. 21 April 2006.
<http://tolweb.org/tree/>