Life Cycle of Fungi

# Learning objectives

1: Be able to describe the structure of a typical fungus.{.info}

2: Be able to describe the life cycle of a typical fungus.{.info}



The scene takes students on the floor of a woodland where a variety of fungi is growing. Students will be able to explore the area and observe fungi in their vegetating and reproductive stage. With Toadstool mushrooms and other examples, the journey will reveal how fungi rely on warm, humid, and nutrient rich environments to grow mycelium and fruiting bodies.

# What is a Fungus?{.objective .objective1}

In this section, a description of fungi will be provided. As a group of organisms in their own right (not animals or plants), students will observe the network of hyphae that form from spores and bundle to form fruiting bodies. Fungi will grow from hyphae that form an extensive network of mycelia that eventually form recognisable structures such as mushrooms.

Students will be asked to observe and identify a thallus and mycelium. They will also be asked to identify the fruiting bodies.

# Life Cycle of a Fungus{.objective .objective2}

In this section, a description of the life cycle of a fungus will be outlined. From a spore released from a basidium at the gills of a taodstool, that will form an extensive network of hyphae in the vegetative stage, to a dense bundle of mycelium forming pinheads that grown into a fruiting body that eventually release new spores produced in the reproductive stage.

Students will be asked to identify the reproductive stage of a fungus by observing the fruiting body and to describe how they drew this conclusion.

# The Good and the Bad{.objective .objective3}

In this section a comparison of good and bad fungi will be provided. How fungi are responsible for decomposition of detritus will be described as well as their role as a source of food. Poisonous fungi will be identified. A description is given of how fungi can be used to make food and beverages such as cheese, bread and beer, and how many moulds can spoil food if left in warm and humid places.

Students will be asked to think of ways to remember that some mushrooms are poisonous, such as the toadstool in the scene.

# Teacher Resources

### Download Teacher Notes

[](https://data.avncloud.com/activities/804418/files/Life%20Cycle+of+Fungi+Teacher+Notes+1.pdf?date=1686741987&size=1575215&md5=64cc9f492e1434da94198044d4813fc2)

### Student Quiz Answers Document

[](https://data.avncloud.com/activities/804419/files/Life%20Cycle+of+Fungi+Teacher+Notes+2.pdf?date=1686742003&size=991909&md5=ba6e814ed8e7723661364d36e8cb0cd6)

### Download Student Quiz Document

[](https://data.avncloud.com/activities/804420/files/Life%20Cycle+of+Fungi+Teacher+Notes+3.pdf?date=1686742014&size=94986&md5=e50791b35da57e7a4fc13a624eec0562)