mycelium

Examples of mycelium in the following topics:

• Basidiomycota: The Club Fungi

  • The mycelium that results is called a primary mycelium.
  • Mycelia of different mating strains can combine and produce a secondary mycelium that contains haploid nuclei of two different mating strains.
  • Eventually, the secondary mycelium generates a basidiocarp, which is a fruiting body that protrudes from the ground; this is what we think of as a mushroom.
  • The body of this fungus, its mycelium, is underground and grows outward in a circle.
  • As it grows, the mycelium depletes the soil of nitrogen, causing the mycelia to grow away from the center, leading to the "fairy ring" of fruiting bodies where there is adequate soil nitrogen.

• Fungi Cell Structure and Function

  • The mass of hyphae is a mycelium .
  • Although individual hyphae must be observed under a microscope, the mycelium of a fungus can be very large, with some species truly being "the fungus humongous."
  • Then, the smaller molecules produced by this external digestion are absorbed through the large surface area of the mycelium.
  • The mycelium of the fungus Neotestudina rosati can be pathogenic to humans.

• Fungi Reproduction

  • Mycelial fragmentation occurs when a fungal mycelium separates into pieces with each component growing into a separate mycelium.
  • When both mating types are present in the same mycelium, it is called homothallic, or self-fertile.

• Zygomycota: The Conjugated Fungi

  • When spores land on a suitable substrate, they germinate and produce a new mycelium.

• Mutualistic Relationships with Fungi and Fungivores

  • In return, the fungus supplies minerals and protection from dryness and excessive light by encasing the algae in its mycelium.
  • The fungal mycelium covers and protects the insect colonies.

• Mycorrhizae: The Symbiotic Relationship between Fungi and Roots

  • Instead, the fungal mycelium is embedded within the root tissue.