Describe Kingdom-Fungi.

(N/A) $\rightarrow$ The Kingdom-Fungi or Mycota constitutes a unique kingdom of heterotrophic organisms.
$\rightarrow$ They show great diversity in morphology and habitat.
$\rightarrow$ Mycology is the branch of science that deals with the study of various fungi.
$\rightarrow$ $A$ scientist having specialization in the study of fungi is called a mycologist.
$\rightarrow$ Examples of fungi:
$(1)$ When your bread develops a mould or your orange rots,it is because of fungi.
$(2)$ The common mushroom you eat and toadstools are also fungi.
$(3)$ White spots seen on mustard leaves are due to a parasitic fungus.
$(4)$ Some unicellular fungi,e.g.,yeast,are used to make bread and beer.
$(5)$ Other fungi cause diseases in plants and animals; wheat rust-causing $Puccinia$ is an important example.
$(6)$ Some are the source of antibiotics,e.g.,$Penicillium$.
$\rightarrow$ Habitat: Fungi are cosmopolitan and occur in air,water,soil,and on animals and plants.
$\rightarrow$ They prefer to grow in warm and humid places.
$\rightarrow$ Body organization: With the exception of yeasts,which are unicellular,fungi are filamentous.
$\rightarrow$ Their bodies consist of long,slender,thread-like structures.
$\rightarrow$ Fungal hyphae are thin,tubular,transparent threads or filaments filled with protoplasm and covered by a cell wall.
$\rightarrow$ The network of hyphae is known as mycelium.
$\rightarrow$ Some hyphae are continuous tubes filled with multinucleated cytoplasm; these are coenocytic hyphae.
$\rightarrow$ Others have septa or cross-walls in their hyphae.
$\rightarrow$ The hyphae found in fungi are of the following types:
$(i)$ Aseptate hyphae: In aseptate hyphae,cross-walls or septa are not formed at the time of nuclear division.
$\rightarrow$ Such hyphae are multinucleate.
$\rightarrow$ It is called coenocytic if the mycelium contains aseptate and multinucleate hyphae.
$(ii)$ Septate hyphae: In this type,cross-walls or septa form after the nuclear division.
$\rightarrow$ The cells may have one,two,or many nuclei.
$\rightarrow$ These have septal pores or cross-walls in their hyphae,which allow the movement of substances between adjacent cells.