Question 1

The most important adaptive advantage associated with the filamentous nature of fungal mycelia is

Accepted Answer

The extensive surface area provided by the filamentous mycelium of fungi is well suited for invasive growth and absorptive nutrition, allowing them to efficiently extract nutrients from their surroundings. This provides an adaptive advantage as it allows fungi to thrive in diverse environments and compete effectively with other organisms. The other options, such as the ability to form haustoria and parasitize other organisms or the increased chance of contact between mating types, may be advantageous in certain circumstances but do not provide as broad an advantage as the extensive surface area provided by the filamentous mycelium.

Question 2

If you wanted to use fungi to improve the environment, which of the following research goals would make the most sense?

Accepted Answer

Discovering lignin-digesting enzymes of fungi and using them to produce biofuel from plant residues would be a practical and sustainable way to reduce carbon emissions and lower dependence on fossil fuels. The other options are either not practical or not feasible.

Question 3

A billionaire buys a sterile volcanic island that recently emerged from the sea. To speed the arrival of conditions necessary for plant growth, the billionaire might be advised to aerially sow what over the island?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A billionaire buys a sterile volcanic island...

Question 4

Fungi interact with many organisms in mutualistic ways. Which of the following involves a fungus that is mutualistic with another organism?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Fungi interact with many organisms in mutualistic...

Question 5

The closest relatives of fungi are thought to be the

Accepted Answer

Recent molecular evidence supports the theory that fungi are more closely related to animals than to any other group of organisms.

Question 6

If haustoria from the fungal partner were to appear within the photosynthetic partner of a lichen, and if the growth rate of the photosynthetic partner consequently slowed substantially, then this would support the claim that ________.

Accepted Answer

The appearance of haustoria from the fungal partner within the photosynthetic partner and subsequent slowing of growth would suggest that the fungal partner is parasitic, rather than mutualistic, indicating that lichens are not purely mutualistic relationships. This contradicts the widely accepted view that lichens are mutualistic partnerships between fungi and photosynthetic microorganisms.

Question 7

Which of the following best describes the physical relationship of the partners involved in lichens?

Accepted Answer

The fungal hyphae of lichens surround and penetrate the photosynthetic algae or cyanobacteria, forming a physical relationship known as a symbiotic mutualism. The photosynthetic cells supply the lichen with organic nutrients through photosynthesis, while the fungal cells provide a protective and stable environment for the algae to thrive on surfaces such as rocks or trees.

Question 8

Use the following information to answer the question.
Rose-picker's disease is caused by the yeast Sporothrix schenkii (S. schenkii). The yeast grows on the exteriors of rose-bush thorns. If a human gets pricked by such a thorn, the yeasts can be introduced under the skin. The yeasts then assume a hyphal morphology and grow along the interiors of lymphatic vessels until they reach a lymph node. This often results in the accumulation of pus in the lymph node, which subsequently ulcerates through the skin surface and then drains.
Humans have immune systems in which lymph nodes are important, because many white blood cells (phagocytes and lymphocytes)reside there. Given that a successful infection by S. schenkii damages lymph nodes themselves, which of the following is most probable?

Accepted Answer

The fungal conversion from yeast to hyphal morphology allows such fast growth that the body's defenses are at least temporarily overwhelmed. The rapid growth of the hyphae may be too much for the body to handle, leading to a successful infection by S. schenkii. Choices A, C, and D are not supported by the information provided in the passage.

Question 9

Mycorrhizae are to the roots of vascular plants as endophytes are to the ________ of vascular plants.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Mycorrhizae are to the roots of vascular...

Question 10

All fungi are

Accepted Answer

Fungi are heterotrophic, meaning they cannot manufacture their own food and must obtain their nutrients from organic substances.

Question 11

Fungi produce many compounds that humans are able to use medically. How can you account for these compounds?

Accepted Answer

Fungi produce compounds that humans can use medically because these compounds likely provide a benefit to the fungi. Fungi use these compounds for defense against predators and competition for resources. Over time, humans have discovered that some of these compounds have medicinal properties and have been able to isolate and use them for human health.

Question 12

Truffles are the fruiting bodies of certain fungi whose mycelium grows below ground. The truffle is also underground and can be detected by many mammals, which eat the truffle and expel the spores with their feces. Which of the following statements is likely accurate with respect to this interaction?

Accepted Answer

Truffles are located underground and therefore cannot be easily seen. Mammals locate them through their sense of smell, which is attracted to the odor that the truffles produce. This odor is a result of volatile organic compounds.

Question 13

Use the following information to answer the question.
Rose-picker's disease is caused by the yeast Sporothrix schenkii (S. schenkii). The yeast grows on the exteriors of rose-bush thorns. If a human gets pricked by such a thorn, the yeasts can be introduced under the skin. The yeasts then assume a hyphal morphology and grow along the interiors of lymphatic vessels until they reach a lymph node. This often results in the accumulation of pus in the lymph node, which subsequently ulcerates through the skin surface and then drains.
Suppose that S. schenkii had initially been classified as a deuteromycete. Asci were later discovered in the pus that oozed from an ulcerated lymph node, and the spores therein germinated, giving rise to S. schenkii yeasts. Which of these statements make sense on the basis of this information?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Use the following information to answer the...

Question 14

Orchid seeds are tiny, with virtually no endosperm and with miniscule cotyledons. If such seeds are deposited in a dark, moist environment, then which of the following represents the most likely means by which fungi might assist in seed germination, given what the seeds lack?

Accepted Answer

Since the orchid seeds lack endosperm and have tiny cotyledons, they cannot rely on their own stored nutrients to support germination and early growth. Fungi can assist in this process by providing the embryos with some of the organic nutrients that the fungi have absorbed from their surroundings. This relationship between orchids and fungi, in which the fungi provide organic nutrients to the orchids, is known as mycorrhizae.

Question 15

Which of the following cells or structures are associated with asexual reproduction in fungi?

Accepted Answer

Conidiophores are specialized structures in fungi that produce asexual spores known as conidia.

Quiz 31: Fungi