Mycology

Prof. Dr. Mochammad Hatta, PhD, SpMK (K)

Bagian Mikrobiologi,
Fakultas Kedokteran, UNHAS

mochammad hatta@2013
 The Characteristics of Fungi
• Body form
* unicellular
* filamentous (tube-like
strands called hypha
(singular) or hyphae
(plural)
* mycelium = aggregate
of hyphae
* sclerotium = hardened
mass of mycelium that
generally serves as an
overwintering stage.
* multicellular, such as
mycelial cords,
rhizomorphs, and fruit
bodies (mushrooms)
mochammad hatta@2013
 The Characteristics of Fungi
• Heterotrophy - 'other food'
* Saprophytes or saprobes - feed on dead
tissues or organic waste (decomposers)
* Symbionts - mutually beneficial
relationship between a fungus and
another organism
* Parasites - feeding on living tissue of a
host.
• Parasites that cause disease are called
pathogens.
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 Hyphae

• Tubular
• Hard wall of chitin
• Crosswalls may
form compartments
(± cells)
• Multinucleate
• Grow at tips
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 Hyphal growth
• Hyphae grow from their tips
• Mycelium = extensive, feeding web of hyphae

• Mycelia are the ecologically active bodies of

fungi
This wall is rigid Only the tip wall is plastic and stretches

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Modifications of hyphae

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 Fungi as infectious agents
• molds & yeasts are widely distributed in air, dust,
fomites & normal flora
• humans are relatively resistant
• fungi are relatively nonpathogenic
• of the 100,000 fungal species, only 300 have been
linked to disease in animals
• fungi are the most common plant pathogens
• human mycoses are caused by both true pathogens
and opportunistic pathogens
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 Mycoses
• Most fungal pathogens do not require a host to
complete their life cycles and infections are not
communicable
• Dermaphytes & Candida sp naturally inhabit
human body & are transmissible
• Dermaphytoses most prevalent fungal infection
• Most cases go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed
• Infections can be systemic, subcutaneous,
cutaneous or superficial
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Levels of invasion

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 Systemic mycoses caused by
true pathogens
• Thermal dimorphism
• Restricted to certain endemic regions of the world
• Soil is normal habitat
• Infection by inhalation of spores  Pulmonary
infections
* Histoplasma capsulatum
* Coccidioides immitis
* Blastomyces dermatitidis
* Paracoccidioidomycosis brasiliensis

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 Antifungal Therapies
• Mycoses are among the most difficult diseases
to heal
* Fungi can often resist the oxidative damage of T
cells during cell-mediated immune responses
* Fungi are biochemically similar to human cells and
antifungal drugs can harm human tissues
• Fungi have ergosterol in their membranes rather
than cholesterol and it is often a target for
antifungal treatment
* Side effects can still result, especially with long-term
use mochammad hatta@2013
Coccidioides immitis

Disseminated
coccidiomycosis

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Blastomyces dermatitidis

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Cutaneous blastomycosis
 lymphocutaneous
sprotrichosis

Primary sore and series of secondary nodules along lymphatic

chain in the arm mochammad hatta@2013
 Mycetoma

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Ringworm Tinea capitis – hatta@2013
mochammad T.corporis
Ringworm / Dermatophytosis/T.cruris, T.manuum,. T.pedis

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 Tinea
versicolor

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Candida albicans

Thrush

Candidal
diaper rash
Vaginitis

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Cryptococcus neoformans

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 Aspergillus

Conjunctival infection Brain abscesses (darkened areas)

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