Fungi Micro

What are the general characteristics of fungi? Cell wall? Cell membrane? Use oxygen or not? Where does it get nutrients? Why do we see more fungal infections?
- A. Eukaryotic cells
- B. ALL have cell walls - often composed of chitin and glucan.
- C. Cell membranes has ergosterol instead of cholesterol (as a sterol).
- D. MOST are aerobes - some are facultative NONE are obligate anaerobe.
- E. In nature fungi are saprobes - get nutrients from decomposition.
- F. With more ppl having immunosuppression, we have more fungal opportunistic infections.
What is the role of spores for fungi?
- Fungi form spores for REPRODUCTION.
- Many species raise up a fungal head (conidia and other names)
- THROW spores
Both yeast and mold forms present in fungi. Where does these form exist?
- A. Yeast are generally the form IN YOU.
- 1. single cell
- 2. asexual budding - divide by mitosis (bacteria binary fission)
- B. Mold - free living form (saprophytic) - multicellular form
- 1. grow as long filaments called hyphae.
- 2. cluster of hyphae forms a mat called a mycelium.
- 3. may have conidia - asexual reproductive elements.
How are fungi diagnosed and give examples?
- I. Growth/culture
- A. Sabouraud's agar
- B. ID/susceptibility testing similar to bacteria
- II. Microscopy - may digest keratin with KOH
- A. see much larger eukaryotic cells
- B. May see hyphae or spores.
- C. Immunofluorescence
- III. Antibody/Antigen/Molecular Biology
- A. ELISA
- B. PCR

Author

nhi

83071

Card Set

Fungi Micro

Description

Rabbe, fungi, micro

Updated

2011-05-01T23:31:12Z

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