What is the difference between septate and non septate hyphae

In contrast to molds, yeasts are unicellular fungi. Yeasts reproduce asexually by budding off a smaller daughter cell; the resulting cells may sometimes stick together as a short chain or pseudohypha Figure 1. Candida albicans is an example of a common yeast that is associated with various infections in humans, including vaginal yeast infections, oral thrush, and candidiasis of the skin. Some fungi are dimorphic , having more than one appearance during their life cycle. This ability helps dimorphic fungi to survive in diverse environments.

Histoplasma capsulatum , the pathogen that causes histoplasmosis , a lung infection, is an example of a dimorphic fungus Figure 2. Figure 2. Histoplasma capsulatum is a dimorphic fungus that grows in soil exposed to bird feces or bat feces guano top left.

It can change forms to survive at different temperatures. Fungi carry out sexual and asexual reproduction, invovling spores. These spores are specialized cells that, depending on the organism, may have unique characteristics for survival, reproduction, and dispersal. Asexual spores have been used in the classification of fungi. The fungi are very diverse, comprising seven major groups.

Not all of the seven groups contain pathogens. Because of their medical importance, we will focus on Zygomycota, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota,. Zygomycetes are mainly saprophytes with coenocytic hyphae. Zygomycetes are important for food science and as crop pathogens. One example is Rhizopus stolonifer Figure 4 , an important bread mold that also causes rice seedling blight. Mucor is a genus of fungi that can potentially cause necrotizing infections in humans, although most species are intolerant of temperatures found in mammalian bodies Figure 4.

Figure 4. These images show asexually produced spores. The organism is a Mucor sp. The edible meadow mushroom, Agricus campestris , is a basidiomycete, as is the poisonous mushroom Amanita phalloides , known as the death cap.

The deadly toxins produced by A. Figure 8. The life cycle of a basidiomycete alternates a haploid generation with a prolonged stage in which two nuclei dikaryon are present in the hyphae.

Finally, the Microsporidia are unicellular fungi that are obligate intracellular parasites. They lack mitochondria, peroxisomes, and centrioles, but their spores release a unique polar tubule that pierces the host cell membrane to allow the fungus to gain entry into the cell. A number of microsporidia are human pathogens, and infections with microsporidia are called microsporidiosis.

One pathogenic species is Enterocystozoan bieneusi , which can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, cholecystitis inflammation of the gall bladder , and in rare cases, respiratory illness. Histoplasma capsulatum Aspergillus niger Basidiomycota Basidia.

Amanita phalloides Cryptococcus neoformans Amanita phalloides Microsporidia Lack mitochondria, peroxisomes, and centrioles. Spores produce a polar tube Enterocystozoan bieneusi Enterocystozoan bieneusi Microsporidia unidentified Zygomycota Mainly saprophytes. Zygospores Rhizopus stolonifera Mucor spp.

Rhizopus sp. Think about It Which group of fungi appears to be associated with the greatest number of human diseases? Eukaryotic Pathogens in Eukaryotic Hosts When we think about antimicrobial medications, antibiotics such as penicillin often come to mind. Penicillin and related antibiotics interfere with the synthesis of peptidoglycan cell walls, which effectively targets bacterial cells.

These antibiotics are useful because humans like all eukaryotes do not have peptidoglycan cell walls. Developing medications that are effective against eukaryotic cells but not harmful to human cells is more difficult.

Despite huge morphological differences, the cells of humans, fungi, and protists are similar in terms of their ribosomes, cytoskeletons, and cell membranes.

As a result, it is more challenging to develop medications that target protozoans and fungi in the same way that antibiotics target prokaryotes. Fungicides have relatively limited modes of action.

Because fungi have ergosterols instead of cholesterol in their cell membranes, the different enzymes involved in sterol production can be a target of some medications. The azole and morpholine fungicides interfere with the synthesis of membrane sterols. These are used widely in agriculture fenpropimorph and clinically e. Some antifungal medications target the chitin cell walls of fungi.

Despite the success of these compounds in targeting fungi, antifungal medications for systemic infections still tend to have more toxic side effects than antibiotics for bacteria.

Anthony is relieved the ringworm is not an actual worm, but wants to know what it really is. The physician explains that ringworm is a fungus. He tells Anthony that he will not see mushrooms popping out of his skin, because this fungus is more like the invisible part of a mushroom that hides in the soil. They physician reassures Anthony that they are going to get the fungus out of him too.

The doctor cleans and then carefully scrapes the lesion to place a specimen on a slide. In Figure 9, it is possible to see macro- and microconidia in Trichophyton rubrum. Cell walls are also visible. Even if the pathogen resembled a helminth under the microscope, the presence of cell walls would rule out the possibility because animal cells lack cell walls.

Figure 9. This micrograph shows hyphae macroconidium and microconidia of Trichophyton rubrum, a dermatophyte responsible for fungal infections of the skin. Which of the following is an ascomycete fungus associated with bat droppings that can cause a respiratory infection if inhaled? Skip to main content. The Eukaryotes of Microbiology. Search for:. Fungi Learning Objectives Explain why the study of fungi such as yeast and molds is within the discipline of microbiology Describe the unique characteristics of fungi Describe examples of asexual and sexual reproduction of fungi Compare the major groups of fungi in this chapter, and give examples of each Identify examples of the primary causes of infections due to yeasts and molds Identify examples of toxin-producing fungi Classify fungal organisms according to major groups.

Think about It Is a dimorphic fungus a yeast or a mold? Key Concepts and Summary The fungi include diverse saprotrophic eukaryotic organisms with chitin cell walls Fungi can be unicellular or multicellular; some like yeast and fungal spores are microscopic, whereas some are large and conspicuous Reproductive types are important in distinguishing fungal groups Medically important species exist in the four fungal groups Zygomycota, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Microsporidia Members of Zygomycota, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota produce deadly toxins Important differences in fungal cells, such as ergosterols in fungal membranes, can be targets for antifungal medications, but similarities between human and fungal cells make it difficult to find targets for medications and these medications often have toxic adverse effects.

Multiple Choice Mushrooms are a type of which of the following? Mushrooms are a basidiocarp. Show Answer Answer a. Candida albicans is the most common cause of human yeast infections. Show Answer Answer b. Histoplasma capsulatum is an ascomycete fungus associated with bat droppings.

Show Answer Nonseptate hyphae are also called coenocytic. Show Answer Unicellular fungi are called yeasts. Show Answer Some fungi have proven medically useful because they can be used to produce antibiotics. Septa are perforated. Hence, molecules, organelles and cytoplasms move between cellular compartments of septate hyphae.

Many fungi of basidiomycetes and ascomycetes are septate fungi. Especially, Aspergillus is one fungal genus that constitutes of septate fungi. Aseptate hyphae, also called Coenocytic hyphae , are the fungal mycelia that lack septa. Hence, partitions or distinct cells are not present in aseptate hyphae.

Due to the absence of cross walls, there are many nuclei together in aseptate hyphae. Thus, aseptate hyphae are generally multinucleated. Primitive fungi mostly possess aseptate hyphae. Zygomycetes fungi are aseptate fungi. Furthermore, Mucor and Pythium are two more genera of aseptate fungi. Septate hyphae consist of septa between cellular compartments while aseptate hyphae lack septa or cross walls. So, this is the key difference between septate and aseptate hyphae. Furthermore, septate hyphae are an advanced form of hyphae which is at low risk of damaging the entire fungus upon damage to a hypha while aseptate hyphae are a form of primitive hyphae that is at a higher risk of damaging the entire fungus upon damage to a hypha.