Question

Give a comparative account of the classes of Kingdom Fungi under the following:

1. Mode of nutrition
2. Mode of reproduction

Answer 1

Class of fungi	Mode of nutrition	Mode of reproduction
Phycomycetes (Includes oomycetes & zygomycetes)	The majority of oomycetes are parasitic, meaning they feed on the protoplasm of living things like plants or animals. e.g., Phytophthora infestans) Most zygomycetes are saprophytes, which get their nourishment from dead or decomposing organic materials (like Rhizopus), parasitic (like Absidia cornea/is), and some are coprophilous, which are fungus that grow on human waste (like Mucor).	Asexual reproduction in oomycetes occurs through zoospores, which are aquatic, and aplanospores, which are terrestrial. Sexual fusion is a form of gametangial interaction; sexual reproduction can be either isogamous or oogamous. Antheridium is the sex organ for men, and oogonium is the sex organ for women. Karyogamy and meiosis (oospore creation) come after plastogamy. Sporangiospores within sporangia, with thin walls and little motility, are the means of asexual reproduction in zygomycetes. Conjugation, also known as gametangial copulation, is the process by which two identical gametangia reproduce sexually. By sexual reproduction, diploid zygospores are created.
Ascomycetes (Sac fungi)	Most are terrestrial and occur as saprophytes (e.g., Aspergillus), parasitic (Claviceps). Some grow in deciduous forests on humus rich soil (Morchella).	Asexual reproduction occurs through fissions chizosaccharomyces), budding (Saccharomyces), and conidia or conidiospores (Aspergillus). Gametic copulation (Yeast), gametangial touch (Pyronema), spermatization (Ascobolus), and somatogamy (Peziza) are the methods used for sexual reproduction. There are three steps to sexual reproduction: meiosis, plasmogamy (fusion of the protoplast), and karyogamy (fusion of the nucleus). Ascus is where ascospores form. Typically, eight ascospores make up each ascus. Ascocarp, which includes cleistothecium (e.g. Penicilium), perithecium (like Neurospora), and apothecium (e.g. Peziza), is the term for fructification.
Basidiomycetes	Mostly saprophytes (Agaricus), on decomposing wood, humus, bark, etc. Certain organisms, such as rusts and powdery mildews, are obligate parasites that can only survive on their hosts' living protoplasm. On the other hand, certain smuts are facultative saprophytes that can eventually change from being parasitic to being saprophytes.	Although asexual spores are rarely observed, ragmentation is a typical method of vegetative reproduction. Although there are no sex organs, two vegetative or somatic cells of different strains or genotypes can fuse to produce plasmogamy. The resulting structure is dikaryotic, and basidium is the end product. Four basidiospores are produced by the basidium during karyogamy and meiosis. On the basidium (also known as basidia), the basidiospores are formed exogenously. Basidiocarps are fruiting structures made up of organised basidia.
Deuteromycetes	Mostly parasitic	Asexual reproduction by conidia and some other spores. Sexual reproduction is either absent or yet to be discovered.