What characteristics do fungi share?

Answer 1

Fungi generally have the following characteristics:

1. They are eukaryotes. This means they have a nucleus which contains their genetic material (unlike bacteria, which do not have a nucleus).

2. They are made of thin threads called hyphae. The hyphae form a branching network called a mycelium. However some fungi are made of a single cell eg yeast.

3. The hyphae have a cell wall (like plant cells) made of a material called chitin (unlike plant cells).

4. The hyphae are often multinucleate. This means that the cytoplasm is not divided up into separate cells, but contins many individual nuclei.

5. Fungi do not contain chlorophyll, the green pigment found in plant cells. This means they cannot make their own food by photosynthesis (like plants do) but have to obtain ready-made food (like animals do).

6. Most fungi are saprotrophic (also called saprophytic), which means they obtain their food by releasing digestive enzymes onto the food and then absorbingthe digested food. Some fungi live as parasites on other living organisms and get their food from their host. Others live as mutualists, forming a close relationship with another organism in which both benefit eg lichens are formed by a mutualistic relationship between fungi and algae.

Answer 2

Three characteristics fungi share are is they all produce spores. They all decompose organic matter. They all prefer dark wet places.

Answer 3

they are eukaryotes