Exam 31: Introduction to Fungi

Chitin is a long-chain polymer derived from glucose. It strengthens cell walls of fungi and the outer covering (exoskeleton) of arthropods (including crabs, shrimps, and insects). The presence of chitin in these groups is likely the result of which of the following processes?

Which of the following statements accurately describes our current understanding of the phylogeny of fungi as represented in the figure?

The most important adaptive advantage associated with the filamentous nature of fungal mycelia is ________.

Which of the following describes a similarity between fungi and arthropods?

Which of the following statements describes the relationship between a fungus and a photosynthetic microorganism in a lichen?

Some companies advertise and sell mycorrhizae to home gardeners and commercial farms, claiming that the presence of mycorrhizae improves plant growth and survival. If the company conducted experiments on plants with and without mycorrhizae, which of the following results would support their claim?

Which of the following characteristics would be most helpful in distinguishing among different species of fungi?

Fungi produce many compounds that humans use medicinally. Which of the following statements best describes the evolution of these compounds in fungi?

You observe the gametes of a fungal species under the microscope and realize that they resemble animal sperm. To which of the following groups does the fungus belong?

In the United States and Canada, bats have become infected by a fungus, Geomyces destructans. Many infected bats have a delicate, white filamentous mat on their muzzles, which is referred to as white-nose syndrome (WNS). The G. destructans mat most likely consists of which of the following structures?

Fungi have an extremely high surface-to-volume ratio. What is the advantage of this characteristic to an organism that gets most of its nutrition through absorption?

It has been hypothesized that fungi and plants have a mutualistic relationship because plants make sugars available for the fungi's use. What is the best evidence in support of this hypothesis?

Diploid nuclei of the ascomycete Neurospora crassa contain 14 chromosomes. A single diploid cell in an ascus will undergo one round of meiosis, followed in each of the daughter cells by one round of mitosis, producing a total of eight ascospores. How many chromosomes would a single ascospore nucleus of this species contain?

Fungi and plants evolved during the same time period. What combination of environmental and morphological change is similar in the evolution of both fungi and plants?

Which of the following statements accurately describes our current understanding of the phylogeny of fungi as represented in the figure?

Use the following information to answer the question. For the past several decades, amphibian species worldwide have been in decline. A significant proportion of the decline seems to be due to the spread of the chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Chytrid sporangia reside within the epidermal cells of infected animals, animals that consequently show areas of sloughed skin. The infection cycle typically takes four to five days, at the end of which zoospores are released from sporangia into the environment. When adult amphibian skin harbors populations of the bacterium Janthinobacterium lividum, chytrid infection seems to be inhibited. Which of the following is the best experimental design to test whether this inhibition is actually due to the presence of J. lividum?

If you wanted to use fungi to improve the environment, which of the following research goals would make the most sense?

Which of the following experimental designs would allow a researcher to determine the effect of mycorrhizae on plant growth?

Truffles are the fruiting bodies of certain fungi whose mycelium grows below ground. The truffle is also underground and can be detected by many mammals, which eat the truffle and expel the spores with their feces. Which of the following statements is likely accurate with respect to this interaction?

When pathogenic fungi are found growing on the roots of grape vines, grape farmers sometimes respond by covering the ground around their vines with plastic sheeting and pumping a gaseous fungicide into the soil. Which of the following results might be a concern for the grape farmers who engage in this practice?