What are Ascomycetes: characteristics and examples

Ascomycetes are fungi which belong to the Phylum Ascomycota. What characterizes and distinguishes them from other fungi is Ascospores formation (Endogenous spores) that develop within small bags or bags called disgust.

Even so, there are others Characteristics of Ascomycetes that we want to highlight and we tell you below:

• Except for yeasts, ascomycetes have a fruitful body called ascocarpo: In that body are the disgust. You may be interested in taking a look at the following article on yeasts: what are, types and examples in ecology.
• Ascocarpos can present various shapes and sizes, for example there are some globose, others in disk or glasses, open or closed.
• Are organisms multicellular: Less yeasts that are unicellular. Here you can find more information about unicellular and multicellular organisms: examples and differences.
• Their structures They are made up of filaments called hyphae: those that as a whole make up the mycelium. Check this post to know more about the structure of fungi.
• Only in Ascomycetes the Mycelium is of the type Simple septal: That is, it has septa or partitions between the cell compartments and these, in turn, present pores that let the nucleus and the cytoplasm pass from one compartment to another.
• They live in a Large habitat range: They can be found on the floor, excrement, food, aerial parts of plants, fresh water and even in the sea.
• Are organisms heterotrophs: They feed on absorption and can be saprophytes or parasites of plants, animals and even humans. Do not miss the following post about heterotrophic organisms: characteristics and examples.
• Like all fungi, walls of their hyphae contain Quitina: It is an absent polysaccharide in plants but present in some animals.

It is the largest group in the Fungi Kingdomwith more than 32,000 species described, covering 3,400 different genres, including lichens, yeasts, mold, parasites and edible fungi.

A classification based on microscopic data and phylogenetic analysis proposes to group the large number of ascomycetes into 5 main groups, they are:

• Archiascomycetes.
• Hemiascomycetes.
• Plectomycetes.
• Hymenoascomycetes.
• Loadascomycetes.

Here are some Ascomycetes examples:

• Bonet fungus (Esculent gyromitra).
• Mold (Neurospara sp.).
• Truffle (Tuber sp.).
• Terrestrial languages ​​(Neoecta sp.).
• Beer yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae).
• Colmenillas (Morchella sp.).
• Cornezuelo (Claviceps Purpurea).

If you want to know more about the Fungi Kingdom: what is, characteristics, classification and examples, do not hesitate to consult the following Ecology Verde.

Ascomycetes can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Even so:

• In most cases of the reproduction asexual: It is through spores called Conidiathey can germinate giving rise to a monocariotic mycelium (with a single type of nucleus) and haploids.
• This same mycelium can enter into sexual phase, so In sexual reproduction: female and male gametangios will be formed, which will appear and give rise to dicariotic hyphae (with two haploid nuclei, one in each parent). These same hyphae will give rise to the fruitful body, where in turn The Ascos that will contain the haploid nuclei, which will merge giving rise to a diploid nucleus. This nucleus will enter meiosis followed by a mitosis causing 8 Ascospores. Maduro disgust explodes and releases ascospores explosively in the air. The germination of Ascospora will give the monocariotic mycelium that will restart the cycle. You may be interested in reading about the difference between mitosis and meiosis, here.

To know more about asexual reproduction: what is, types and examples, do not miss this post of ecology.

Like most fungi, ascomycetes are essential within ecosystems, They help nutrient cycling thanks to the decomposition of organic matter, while They serve as food For numerous species such as snails, insects, rodents and larger animals such as wild pig and deer.

Another of the reasons that make them so important in nature is their ability to establish relationships with Other speciesLet’s see which are:

• Lichens: They are the result of a symbiotic association between a fungus (generally an ascomyceto) and a photosynthetic organism such as an algae or cyanobacteria. The fungus offers support and protection while receiving organic compounds from its partner. This allows them to conquer inhospitable places that could not do it, such as the Arctic, the deserts and great altitudes.
• Mycorrhiza: They are a symbiotic association between the roots of the plants and the fungus. The latter provides minerals and salts that absorbs from the ground, while the plant provides photosynthetic products. Here are more information about mycorrhizae: what are and types.
• Animal association: some insects such as the cutter ant (genre Xylaria) or the cortex beetle (Scolytidae family) grow ascomyceted fungi to obtain from them a nutritional source that they then use to feed the queen or the larvae.
• Parasites: As we mentioned above some of these fungi are parasites, they can be born in or on plants or animals and damage them. While many are responsible for fungal diseases in plants, such as chestnut rust or apple scabies, they also act as biological controllers.

If you are interested in fungi, do not miss the following article on the classification of fungi in Ecology Verde.

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