Ascomycota
Sign in to saveThe Ascomycota are a phylum in the kingdom Fungi that, together with the Basidiomycota, form the subkingdom Dikarya. Members of Ascomycota are commonly known as the sac fungi or ascomycetes. It is the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species. The defining feature of this fungal group is the ascus (), a microscopic sexual structure in which nonmotile spores, called ascospores, are formed. However, some species of Ascomycota are asexual and thus do not form asci or ascospores. Familiar examples of sac fungi include morels, truffles, brewers' and bakers' yeast, dead man's fingers, and cu
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Ascomycota, commonly called sac fungi, are the largest group of fungi and are defined by their use of a microscopic pouch called an ascus to produce spores for reproduction. They include many organisms important to humans, such as baker's yeast and truffles, as well as various other fungi found in nature.
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Article
26 sectionsContents
- Reproduction in ascomycetes
- Conidia formation
- Budding
- Characteristics of ascomycetes
- Modern classification
- Outdated taxon names
- Morphology
- Metabolism
- Distribution and living environment
- Reproduction
- Asexual reproduction
- Asexual spores
- Conidiogenesis and dehiscence
- Heterokaryosis and parasexuality
- Sexual reproduction
- Formation of sexual spores
- Ecology
- Lichens
- Mycorrhizal fungi and endophytes
- Symbiotic relationships with animals
- Plant disease interactions
- Human disease interactions
- Beneficial effects for humans
- See also
- Notes
- Cited texts
The Ascomycota are a phylum in the kingdom Fungi that, together with the Basidiomycota, form the subkingdom Dikarya. Members of Ascomycota are commonly known as the sac fungi or ascomycetes. It is the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species. The defining feature of this fungal group is the ascus (), a microscopic sexual structure in which nonmotile spores, called ascospores, are formed. However, some species of Ascomycota are asexual and thus do not form asci or ascospores. Familiar examples of sac fungi include morels, truffles, brewers' and bakers' yeast, dead man's fingers, and cup fungi. The fungal symbionts in the majority of lichens (loosely termed "ascolichens") such as Cladonia belong to the Ascomycota.
Ascomycota are a monophyletic group (containing all of the descendants of a common ancestor). Previously placed in the Basidiomycota along with asexual species from other fungal taxa, asexual (or anamorphic) ascomycetes are now identified and classified based on morphological or physiological similarities to ascus-bearing taxa, and by phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences.