Mycology Glossary: A - B
A
- Acervulus (pl. Acervuli)
- a mat of hyphae giving rise to short conidiophores closely packed together forming a bed-like mass.
- Acropetal
- refers to spore formation where the most recently formed spore is at the tip of a chain of spores. Usually seen as being smaller than the immediate neighbour. Note that a continuous cytoplasmic link exists from base to tip (see basipetal).
- Anamorph
- the asexual stage in the life cycle of a pleomorphic fungus (see teleomorph). Usually applied to the septate fungi, where a seperate taxonomy has been developed. (Further information)
- Anastomosis
- fusion between hyphae of the same or different hyphae.
- Antagonism
- in general, an association in which one organism damages another. Especially pertinent to where one produces a toxic compound (see barrage).
- Apical
- at the apex or end.
- Aplanospore
- see sporangiospore.
- Apothecium
- cup shaped ascocarp. Hymenium is exposed at maturity.
- Appressorium
- a swelling on a germ tube or hyphae, often terminal, which may attach to the surface, especially in development of colonisation of a cell. See holdfast.
- Arthrospore
- asexual spore (conidium) formed by the conversion of a pre-existing hypha. Usually the walls thicken and the cell(s) separates before swelling of each spore. Sometimes further septa form in each cell prior to disarticulation. A specialised thallic conidium.
- Ascocarp
- a fruiting body containing one or more asci.
- See apothecium.
- See perithecium.
- Ascomycota
- one of the four divisions within the Fungal Kingdom. Contains three classes, Laboulbeniomycetes, Protoascomycetes, Euascomycetes (see classification). Characterised by the formation of ascospores. More information
- Ascospore
- a sexual spore formed following meiosis in an ascus.
- Ascus (asci)
- a sac-like cell generally containing a definite number of ascospores, typically 8, formed after karyogamy and meiosis.
- Ascus opening
- refers to the manner the tip of the ascus opens during release of ascospores. May be a slit, pore or an operculum (see operculum).
- Aseptate
- lacking cross walls in the hyphae (see septum).
- Asexual
- mitotic reproduction, not involving fusion of nuclei and meiosis, offspring the same as the single parent (see sporangiospore, conidium).
- Azygospore
- parthenogenetic zygospore.
B
- Barrage
- space between two colonies of fungi which have an aversion for each other.
- Basidiocarp
- a fruiting body that bears basidia.
- Basidiomycota
- One of the four divisions within the Fungal Kingdom. Contains at least 8 classes including Ustomycetes, Urediniomycetes, and Euholobasidiomycetes (see classification). Characterised by the formation of basidiospores. More information
- Basidiospore
- a sexual spore formed following meiosis, borne on a basidium.
- Basidium (basidia)
- a structure bearing on its surface a definite number of basidiospores (usually four) that are formed following karyogamy and meiosis.
- Basipetal
- refers to a spore that forms at the base of a chain, thus pushing the remainder of the chain away from the spore forming region (see acropetal). The animation (right) and the image below show basipetal spore development.
- Biotroph
- parasitic fungus that exists in association with a living cell.
- Bitunicate
- describing the walls of an ascus in which the two layers separate during ejection of the asci. The outer layer is rigid and brittle, and the inner flexible. Alternate to unitunicate where the layers are fused.
- Blastic
- related to formation of conidia, where the conidial initial enlarges prior to the formation of a septum separating the conidium from the conidiogenous cell (see blastospore).
- Blastospore
- spore formed following the marked enlargement of part of a cell before separation by a septum.
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