Study questions on the Basidiomycota

1. What are clamp connections and why are they important to Basidiomycetes? Draw the stages of clamp connection formation.

2. The Basidiomycota are classified into different sub-groups by different people. By the system we learned, they are divided into the classes Homobasidiomycetes and Heterobasidiomycetes. What are the defining characteristics of these two classes?

Another method divides the Basidiomycota into the Gasteromycetes, Hymenomycetes and Teliomyctes. How are these groups distinguished?

3. What characteristics do the smuts (Ustilaginales) and rusts (Uredinales) share, that put them into the Teliomycetes. In what ways do they differ?

4. Basidiomycetes are said to have an "extended dikaryon" and ascomycetes a "limited dikaryon." Explain the differences between these stages.

5. Briefly describe, using drawings if they are helpful, how ascospore formation (in general, excluding the Hemiascomycetes) is similar to basidiospore formation.

6. List and describe three roles of the Basidiomycota in the environment.

7. Draw a typical mushroom and label the following features: volva, stipe, ring, pileus, gills. Draw an early stage of a mushroom with a partial veil and a universal veil. What becomes of these two features in a mature mushroom?

8. How did the Jelly fungi get their name? How do they respond to arid conditions?

9. How does the dispersal unit of sexual reproduction of the rusts and smuts differ from the other Basidiomycota?

10. What is the ploidy of nuclei of the five different spore stages of the rusts? What spore is responsible for giving these fungi the name rusts? Why? Which spore is the overwintering stage?

11. Hyphal anastomosis is common between strains of Ascomycota during vegetative growth. Among the Basidiomycota, some hyphae will anastomose but those that produce clamp connections will not. Why do you think this would be?

12. How do the white rot fungi differ from the brown rot fungi? Which are able to more fully digest wood?

13. Do the ectomycorrhizal fungi belong to the Basidiomycota or the Glomeromycota?. How do the ectomycorrhizal fungi differ from the endomycorrhizal fungi? Which group has more species? Which group is associated with more hosts?

14. How does the common mushroom Agaricus bisporus differ from most other species in the Basidiomycota with respect to basidiospore formation?

15. Define:
dolipore septum-
basidium-
ballistospore-