Mycology

Course Description

This course provides an introduction to the fungal lifestyle and to classification and evolution of the major groups of fungi, including microfungi, yeasts, and other eukaryotic microbes. The characteristics of fungal cell structure and fungal reproduction and sporulation processes are discussed with reference to the life cycles of representative forms. The ecological and economic importance of fungi will be demonstrated by considering fungal ecology, symbiotic relationships, mycotoxins, pathogenic fungi, and the industrial applications of fungi and yeasts.

Practical content
The practical portion of this course involves the following topics:

•  Preparation of culture media.
• Isolation of pure cultures, dilution series, spore counting and measuring fungal growth.
• Study of slides from seleted fungal divisions: Chytridiomycota, Zygomycota, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Deuteromycotina

Course Objectives & Outcomes
At the end of this course, the student will be able to:

• Know the history and general characteristics of fungi.
•  Distinguish fungal nutrition methods.
•  Study reproduction of fungi.
• Understand the life cycles and economic importance of various fungal taxonomic groups (myxomycota, oomycetes, chytridiomycota, zygomycota, Ascomycota, basidiomycota, and deutromycota).
•  Study industrial applications of fungi like the production of antibiotics and other biochemicals.
•  Know the causes of fungal infections in plants, and the stages progressing toward the appearance of disease symptoms.
•  Practice techniques to isolate, purify, and save fungi, as well as know how to identify and collect plant samples infected with fungi and describe the disease symptoms.
•  Classify fungi on the basis of cellular structure; living manner, feeding and reproduction.

References

1. Vaughan G.Structure and Development of Fungi, Amazon Sales Rank:1578747.2009.

Course ID: MICRO 426