Video Transcript
Organisms belonging to kingdom
Fungi can reproduce sexually or asexually. What reproductive, haploid cells
are produced by asexual or sexual reproduction in fungi?
Let’s talk about fungi and their
reproduction. Fungi have unique structures called
hyphae, which are filaments that collectively form a network called a mycelium. The mycelium branches through the
soil to absorb nutrients. This is how a fungus lives for most
of the time. Every now and then, however, the
fungus grows a fruiting body, which rises out of the soil.
In the fruiting body, spores
develop, which are special reproductive cells and are haploid, meaning that they
contain half the genetic material of the cells of the parent organism. Depending on what happens to the
spores after they are released from the fruiting body, they may be used to reproduce
sexually or asexually.
In asexual reproduction, genetic
material is not needed from other organisms, as the spores will simply germinate,
build a mycelium, and grow into a new individuum.
In sexual reproduction, gametes, or
sex cells, from two different fungi fuse to create a diploid zygote. This zygote will then develop a new
fruiting body. Cells in the fruiting body undergo
meiosis to create spores that have had their DNA reshuffled. These spores germinate and grow
just like the ones in asexual reproduction.
Therefore, the correct answer to
this question is spores. The name of the haploid
reproductive cells of fungi is spores.
