Lab: Fungi

1. Sac Fungi

	a. Yeast

		Place a drop of a mixture of yeast and water on a slide, add a cover slip and 		study under low power and high power.  Identify the spherical yeast cells, 			some of which may be in the process of budding. The nucleus is difficult to 		observe in the living preparation. Notice the granular cytoplasm which 			usually contains one or more clear vacuoles.

		Draw a group of cells under low power (drawing #1) and a single cell under 		high power (drawing #2). In the second drawing label: cell wall, cytoplasm, 		and bud if present.

	b.  Look at a prepared slide of Penicillium. Draw the fungi. (Drawing # 3)

2. Sporangia Fungi

	 Bread mold (Rhizopus nigricans)

		The fuzzy, thread-like structure is the mycelium, each thread is called a 			hypha. Some of the hyphae anchor the plant to the bread (rhizoids), some 			grow horizontally over the top of the bread (stolons), others project into the 		air (sporangiophores) and each of the latter carries a black knob-like 			sporangium (spore case) filled with spores.

		Carefully remove a bit of the mycelium with forceps and mount in a drop of 		glycerine on a slide. Cover and observe under low power.

		Draw a few hyphae from the bread mold and label: sporangiophores, 
		sporangium, spores, and mycelium. (drawing #4)

3. Basidium Fungi (Club)     (Demonstration set up)

	a. Observe the common mushroom. The cap has differentiated from a number of 			hyphae which merged to form a compact body in which food is stored. The 		microscopic spores are present on the gills of the underside of the cap. The 		stalk connects the cap and the underground mycelium.

		Draw and label a mushroom. Make a longitudinal section to expose the gills. 		(drawing #5)  Label:  cap, gills, stalk.

	b.  Observe a slide of the mushroom, Coprinus. Notice the spores.

		Draw one of the prepared slides observed. (drawing #6)

Questions:

	1. Name 3 ways that fungi are beneficial to humans. (3 pts)

	2. What compound makes up the cell walls of fungi? (1pt)

	3. Describe the life cycle of a typical mushroom.  (5 points)