The+Fungal+Cell

http://www.fungionline.org.uk/images/3hyphae/hypha.gif
 * Figure 1.** A fungal hypha. Fungal cell biology group, Institute of Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh

__**Fungi:Overview**__
Fungi are heterotrophic eukaryotes, and most are multicellular. They are not plants or animals, but have characteristics of both (Alberts et al. 2008). Most are decomposers, and use extracellular digestion to absorb nutrients, and they store food as glycogen, like animals (Madigan et al. 2012). Their cell wall is composed of chitin (like plants). They are made up of:
 * The reproductive structure (i.e. the mushroom) which produces spores
 * The mycelium

**__Hyphae__**
The basic cell structure of fungi is the hypha (plural: hyphae). Hyphae are fibrous filaments composed of one or more cells enclosed in a cell wall (Madigan et al. 2012). Septa separate the individual cells within the hyphae, and usually have pores large enough for nutrients and some organelles to move between the individual cells (Madigan et al. 2012). Species that have hyphae without septa are called Coenocytic (Madigan et al. 2012). The mycelium is a mass of hyphae that is usually underground (Madigan et al. 2012). They can grow to be quite large.

Hyphae do not multiply by cell division, they grow by apical growth (Madigan et al. 2012). The **Spitzenkorper** is an organelle associated with tip growth, composed of a cluster of small membrane-bound vesicles (Madigan et al. 2012). The vesicles contain enzymes involved in wall synthesis and lysis, i.e.chitin synthase and glucan synthase which synthesize wall polymers (Madigan et al. 2012). Apical growth allows hyphae to extend to new areas and allows the fungus to penetrate permeable surfaces, plants, etc (Alberts et al. 2008). Excretion of enzymes and absorption of nutrients happens at the tip (Alberts et al. 2008).

__**Bibliography**__
Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, Raff M, Roberts K, Walter P (2008) Molecular Biology of The Cell, Ed 5. New York (NY): Garland Science. 1600 p.

Fungal cell biology group. Insititute of cell biology, University of Edinburgh, n.d. //[A fungal hypha].// Retrieved from http://www.fungionline.org.uk/images/3hyphae/hypha.gif

Madigan MT, Martinko JM, Stahl D, Clark DP (2012) Brock Biology of Microorganisms, Ed 13. San Francisco (CA): Benjamin Cummings. 1152 p.