Biology

haustoria

In parasitic fungi, a nutrient-absorbing hyphal tip that penetrates the tissues of the host but remains outside the host cell membranes.

Alternation of generations

Life cycle where both a multicellular diploid form, sporophyte, multicellular haploid form, and gametophyte, the alternation of two or more different forms in the life cycle of a plant or animal

colony

a group of animals of the same type living together. group of unicellular or multicellular organisms that live together in a close relationship

stolon

a horizontal branch from the base of plant that produces new plants from buds at its tips

thallus

a plant body without true stems or roots or leaves or vascular system.

ciliate

a protozoan with a microscopic appendage extending from the surface of the cell, A type of protozoan that moves by means of cilia.characterized by the presence of hair-like organelles called cilia, which are identical in structure to eukaryotic flagella, but typically shorter and present in much larger numbers with a different undulating pattern than flagella

basidium

a small club-shaped structure typically bearing four basidiospores at the ends of minute projections, A reproductive appendage that produces sexual spores on the gills of mushrooms (club fungi).

spore

a small usually single-celled reproductive body produced by many plants and some protozoans and that develops into a new individual. usually haploid and unicellular and are produced by meiosis in the sporangium of a diploid sporophyte. Under favourable conditions the spore can develop into a new organism using mitotic division, producing a multicellular gametophyte, which eventually goes on to produce gametes.

conidiophore

a specialized fungal hypha that produces conidia, A fungus sporophore that forms asexual conidia by repeated divisions at its tip and not in an enclosure, in ascomycetes, elongated, upright hyphae that produce conidia at their tips

sporangium

a specialized sac, case, or capsule, or other structure that produces spores. in fungi , a sac , or case of hyphae in which spores are produced

mycorrhyiza

a symbiotic (generally mutualistic, but occasionally weakly pathogenic) association between a fungus and the roots of a vascular plant.

zygospore

a zygote surrounded by a hard, protective covering., diploid zygote that results from the pairing of gametes of opposite mating types

conidium

an asexually produced fungal spore formed on a conidiophore, tiny fungal spore that forms at the tips of specialized hyphae in ascomycetes

protozoan

any of diverse minute acellular or unicellular organisms usually nonphotosynthetic . hetertrophic animal like protist. diverse group of unicellular eukaryotic organisms

budding

asexual reproduction in which a part of the parent organism pinches off and forms a new organism, reproduction of yeast in which a new cell grows out of the body of a parent

chitin

complex carbohydrate that makes up the cell walls of fungi; also found in the external skeletons of arthropods.a long-chain polymer of a N-acetylglucosamine, a derivative of glucose, and is found in many places throughout the natural world.

sporophyte

diploid, or spore-producing, phase of an organism

rhizoid

fungai hyphae that penetrate food and anchor a mycellium , A thin, rootlike structure that anchors a moss and absorbs water and nutrients for the plant.

plasmodium

parasitic protozoan of the genus Plasmodium that causes malaria in humans . genus of Apicomplexan parasites

sporozoan

parasitic spore-forming protozoan.

algae

primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly aquatic eukaryotic organisms lacking true stems and roots and leaves.very large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms

Asexual reproduction

reproduction that does not involve the union of gametes and in which a single parent produces offspring that are genetically identical to the parent., reproduction without the fusion of gametes

ascus

saclike structure in which ascospores are formed through sexual reproduction of ascomycetes, sac that forms on the surface of an ascocarp in which haploid spores are formed

ascospore

sexually produced fungal spore formed within an ascus., a spore produced in an ascus by ascomycetes

gametangium

structure that contains a haploid nucleus; formed by the fusion of haploid hyphae. an organ or cell in which gametes are produced that is found in many multicellular protists, algae, fungi, and the gametophytes of plants

lichen

symbiotic association between a fungus and a photosynthetic organism , usually an ascomycete and a photsynthetic green algae or cyan bacteria

hyphae

the branching, threadlike tubes that make up the bodies of Multicellular fungi.consists of one or more cells surrounded by a tubular cell wall.

gametophyte

the gamete-producing individual or phase in the life cycle of a plant having alternation of generations

mycellium

the mass of fungal filaments, or hyphae that forms the body of a fungus

Flagellate

usually nonphotosynthetic free-living protozoan with whiplike appendages., having or resembling a flagellum or flagella

pseudopodia

A cellular extension of amoeboid cells used in moving and feeding.They are most commonly found on eubacteria. They can also be known as "false foot".temporary cytoplasm-filled projections of the cell wall that certain eukaryotic cells use for motion or for ingesting nutrients.

fragmentation

A means of asexual reproduction whereby a single parent breaks into parts that regenerate into whole new individuals.