Chapter 21, Problem 15STP

Summary Introduction

To write:

How spore production gives fungi and advantage in an ecosystem.

Introduction:

Fungi are among the oldest and the largest group of organism on earth. All fungi are either unicellular or multicellular eukaryotic heterotrophs. Fungi have a cell wall composed of chitin. There are about 100,000 identified species of fungi. Most fungi reproduce through spores. A spore is the reproductive haploid cell that develops into a new organism without the fusion of gametes.

Explanation of Solution

Most fungi's sexual and asexual lifecycle involves developing spores. A spore is a haploid reproductive cell which develops into a new organism without the fusion of gametes. Most fungi produce trillions of spores. The production of such large number of spores are and adaptive feature for survival. This adaptation ensures that some percentage of the spores will land in suitable environment and grow into new individuals. The spores are small and lightweight that they can easily be dispersed by wind and other small insects. The spore also has a cell wall that allows them to survive extreme of temperature and moisture.

Conclusion

The production of spore allows fungi to develop without the fusion of gametes. The spore also has a cell wall that allows them to survive extreme of temperature and moisture.