TerminologyofmycologyViralInfectionsBlogArticles

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Hereyouwillfindsomedefinitionsbasictermsastheyrelatetomycology.
A.BasicStructures
1.Hypha(hyphaeplural)fundamentaltubelikestructuralunitsoffungi.
a.Septatedividedbycrosswalls
b.Aseptatelackingcrosswalls

2.Myceliumamass/matofhyphaeformingthevegativeportionofthefungus
a.Aerialgrowingorexistingintheair
b.Vegetativeabsorbsnutrients
c.Fertilebearsconidiaorsporesforreproduction
B.Spores

Sporulation&Sporespreferredtermsusedwhenthereisamergingofnuclearmaterial/genescombine.
Fusionofnuclearmaterial.
Selffertile=homothallic.Matingtypes=heterothallic.
Sexualsporesfusionofnuclei

1.Ascosporesporeformedinasaclikecellknownasanascus,theshapeofwhichaidsinidentificationof
thefungus.Ofteneight(8)sporesformed.(sexual).(Ascomycetes)

2.Basidiosporesexualspore(unionoftwonuclei)producedonaspecializedclubshapedstructure,calleda
basidium.(Basidiomycetes)

3.ZygosporeathickwalledsporeformedduringsexualreproductioninthePhycomycetes

Asexualsporesmostcommontype
4.Conidiaasexualfungalsporesborneexternallyinvariouswaysfromaconidiophoreoftenreferredtoa
macroandmicroconidia.(Ascomycetes&Deuteromycetes).Macroconidiaaremulticellular
Microconidiaareunicellular

5.Arthroconidium(Arthrospore)specialtypeofasexualsporeformedbydisarticulationofthemycelium.

6.Blastoconidia/Blastosporeasexualsporeformedfromabuddingprocessalongthemyceliumorfrom
anotherblastospore.(classAscomycetes)

7.Chlamydosporethickwalledresistantasexualsporeformedbydirectdifferentiationofthemycelium
(concentrationofprotoplasmandnutrients)

8.Sporangiosporeanasexualsporecontainedinasporangiumattheendofasporangoiphoreofthe
taxonomicclassPhycomycetes

9.Thallosporeasexualsporeproducedonathallus(hypha).(Deuteromycetes)

Miscellanousterms
1.Ascussaclikestructurecontaining(usuallyeight)ascosporesdevelopedduringsexualreproductionin
theAscomycetes.

2.Asexualreproductionspores(reproductivebodiesofafungus)areformeddirectlyfromthevegetative
myceliumorfromspecializedhyphae.
3.Chromoblastomycosisasubcutaneousmycosisoftentheresultoftraumaticinoculationofa
dematiaceousfungusintotheskinetiologicagentsincludespeciesofCladosporium,*Fonsecaea,Exophiala,&
Phialophora
4.Coenocyticacelloranaseptatehyphacontainingnumerousnuclei.

5.Conidiophoreaspecializedbranchofhyphaonwhichconidiaaredeveloped.

6.Dematiaceouspigmented,darkincolor,usuallygraytoblack.

7.Dermatophytefungithatcausesuperficialmycoses.
8.Diphasic(dimorphic)theabilityofsomefungitogrowaseitheryeastorfilamentousstages,dependingon
conditionsofgrowth.
9.Ectothrixicabilityofthefungustogrowontheoutsideofahairshaft.
10.Endothrixicabilityofthefungustogrowandpenetrateintothehairshaft.
11.Endogenousderivedfrominternalsource.
12.Exogenousderivedfromexternalsource.
13.Eukaryotesorganismspossessingatruenucleus(suchasfungi)asopposedtoprokaryoteswhichdo
notcontainanuclearmembrane(suchasbacteria).
14.Fungemiafungalbloodinfection
15.FungiImperfectialargeclassoffungiwithseptatehyphaeinwhichtheasexualstateofreproductionis
known,butnotthesexualstate.TheyarealsocalledDeuteromycetesandincludethemajorityofmedically
significantfungi.

16.GermTubesmallprojectionswhicharisefromcellsofcertainyeastsindicatestheonsetofhyphal
formation.
17.Hyalinecolorless,clear.
18.Moldtermgenerallyreferringtofilamentousfungi
19.Mycetomaaclinicalsyndromeoflocalized,tumorouslesionsincutaneousandsubcutaneoustissues
duetoinfections,oftenafoot,withactinomycetesorfungi.
20.Mycosisadiseasecausedbyafungus
21.Mycotoxinstoxinsoffungalorigin
22.Oosporealsocalledzygospore,asexualsporeproducedthroughthefusionoftwounlikenuclei(class
Phycomycetes)

23.Perfectfungifungihavingsexualandasexualreproductivestages
24.Phycomycetesaclassoffungiformingacoenocyticmyceliumwithstiffsporangiophoresthatbear
sporangiosporescontainedinasporangium
25.Pseudohyphaeachainofelongatedbuddingcellsthathavefailedtodetach(nottruehyphae)

26.Ringwormtermusedtodescribecircularorringlikeskinlesionsproducedbydermatophytes

Ringworm

27.Rhizoidsrootlikestructures

28.Saprobe(Saprophyte)anyplantorganismthatobtainsitsnourishmentfromdeadorganicmatter
29.Sexualreproductionzygote/sporeformationfollowsthefusionoftwohaploidnuclei
30.Sporangiophoreaspecialaerialhyphaorstalkbearingasporangium
31.Sporangiumasacorcellcontainingsporesproducedasexually

32.Sporegenerallythereproductivebodyofafungusoccasionally,aresistantbodyforadverse
environment
33.Sterigmataaspecializedstructurethatarisesfromabasidiumandsupportsbasidiospores

34.SporotrichosismycosistheresultofinoculationwithSporothrixschenckii,lymphocutaneoustypeismost
common
35.Telemorphthesexualformofafungus
36.Thallosporesporeformedbyachangeinportionsofthethallus
37.Thallusthevegetativebodyofafungus
38.Tinea(Ringworm)Prefixusedwiththeinfectedareaofthebodytoindicateacutaneousmycosis
39.Yeastpastyormucoidformoffungusgrowth,microscopicallyshowsapredominanceofbuddingcells
40.Zoophilicdermatophyteswhichareparasiticonloweranimalsaswellasman

MoreaboutfungicanbefoundHERE.
Bigthankstowww.austincc.edu/ddingley/MLAB1331/LectureGuide/Mycology.doc.