Fungi - 3 Phyla: Zygote – Sac – Club
... Harmless Infections/Life Threatening Infections 3-Phyla of Fugi – Zygote – Sac – Club – Sac Fungi Larges / 20000 Species Sexual Stages There are the phyla of fungi: the zygote-forming fungi (Zygomycota), the sac fungi (Ascomycota), and the club fungi (Basidiomycota). Sac fungi are the largest group of fungi with approximately 30,000 species being presently known. These fungi live in the soil, salt water, fresh water, on dead plants and animals, and on animal feces. Sac fungi acquired its name due to the sexual spores occurring in groups of eight are enclose in saclike structures called asci (AS-kue) or ascus. Sac fungi may or may not have sexual stages. There are some sac fungi which either has lost the ability to reproduce sexually or the reproduction has not been observed. Even though some sac fungi do not reproduce the hyphae mating types will often fuse leading to the species survival. Asexual fungi reproduce via the hyphae, which releases spores. Athlete’s foot and ringworm are asexual sac fungi as well as there are other sac fungi that can attack the brain and other organs. Lichens are sac fungi as are Aspergillus and Penicillum. Both aspergillus and penicillum are considered important sac fungi for economic reasons. Penicillum is used to create antibiotics as well as create flavors and specific smells to our cheeses. Aspergillus is used for fermenting soy paste and sauce. Aspergillus Aspergillus is a subcategory of the phylum Ascomycota. There is conflicting information on the number of species of Aspergillus. This number seems to range from 185-300 and of these species of Aspergillus there are 20 species that can cause infection in the human. The most common species are aspergillus fumigatus followed by aspergillus flavus. The less common species are aspergillus niger, aspergillus clavatus, and aspergillus nidulans. Most humans are naturally immune to disease caused by aspergillus however when disease does occur it can show up in several different forms. Aspergillus Different Forms Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a condition in which a human being develops an allergic reaction to the aspergillus spores. It is believed up to 20% of the asthmatics will develop this condition sometime in their lives. The symptoms are much like asthma with wheezing, coughing, and not feeling well. Some will cough up brown colored plugs of mucus. The condition may be treated with steroids during an attack; Itraconazole (an oral antifungal drug) is preferred, as it doesn’t have the bad side effects steroids have. ABPA may be diagnosed through a sputum sample, x-ray, or by skin and blood tests. Aspergilloma is a disease whereby aspergillus spores penetrate the lung cavity and germinate causing a fungus ball to grow within the cavity. There is a toxin secreted by the fungus that at first is not noticed by the infected person. However, over time there is weight loss, a feeling of being rundown and a chronic cough. Coughing of blood (haemoptysis) occurs in approximately 50-80% of those affected. This condition usually occurs due to a person having a lung that has been previously damaged via tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, or hystiocytosis X. Diagnosis is made through scans or X-rays of the lung as well as through blood tests. Treatment will vary depending on how much lung disease there may be as well as how much blood is being coughed up. Oral itraconazole helps with symptoms but rarely kills the fungus in the lung cavity. Surgery may be required especially if the patient is coughing up much blood. Surgery may also be required if there is much tissue damage in the lung. Amphotericin B may also be injected directly into the lung cavit...