Fungi

Fungi

1. Classification

   • Dimorphic
     • Yeast like @ 37 degrees
     • Mould like @ 25 degrees
   • Yeast (unicellular)
     • Pasty colonies MACROSCOPICALLY
     • Oval/round, 3-5 micrometres diametre
     • Produce Pseudohyphae when in tissue
     • Reproduce by Budding
   • Mould (multicellular)
     • Wooly/CotTony surface texture MACROSCOPICALLY
     • Pigment seen on reverse
     • Hyphae and Spores MICROSCOPICALLY
       • Hyphae
         • Septate
         • Non-septate
         • Vegetative System
           • Mycelium; network of Hyphae
           • Hyphae grow from the TIP; new tips formed by branching
         • Aerial Hyphae
       • Spores
         • Conidiophore
           • Vesicle
             • Phialide
               • Conidia
         • Sporangiophore
           • Columnella
             • Sporangium
               • Sporangiospores
         • GERMINATE to produce new hyphae

2. Optimal Conditions

   • AEROBES
   • 20-30 degrees
   • Nutrition is absorbed from the environment; non-photosynthetic
     • Decomposers
     • Symbionts
     • Parasites
   • Reproduction
     • Sexual
       • SPORES
     • Asexual
       • BUDDING
       • Asexual Spores

3. Lab Diagnosis

   • Microscopy
     • Gram stain
       • Appear as Gram-positive/purple
     • KOH
       • Add to hair samples;acts as a clearing agent leaving spores behind.
     • India Ink
       • Yeast with cultures surrounded by non-stained area
   • Culture
     • Sabouraud Dextrose Agar
     • pH 5.5 to inhibit bacterial growth
     • Sellotape Flag touched onto culture, then dropped onto lactophenol cotton blue stain on microscope .
   • UV Flourescence
   • Serology (rarely used)