At one time, biologists thought that fungi were merely forms of plants that had lost their chlorophyll and evolved saprotrophy to obtain food. Which of the following is a reason why fungi are no longer classified with the plants?
A) Fungal cell walls contain chitin rather than cellulose.
B) Fungi digest their food internally.
C) All fungi have flagella at some stage in their life cycle and plants do not.
D) Plants are multicellular and fungi are unicellular.
E) Plants store glycogen, while fungi store starch.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Fungal cell walls contain chitin rather than cellulose, which is the main component of plant cell walls. This is a key difference between fungi and plants and is one reason why fungi are now classified in their own kingdom (Fungi) rather than as a subgroup of plants.

At One Time, Biologists Thought That Fungi Were Merely Forms