Glomeromycota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Glomeromycota |
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| Gigaspora margarita working together with Lotus corniculatus | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Glomeromycota |
| Subdivisio: | Glomeromycotina C.Walker & A.Schuessler (2001) |
| Class: | Glomeromycetes Caval.-Sm. (1998) |
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Glomeromycota are a special group of fungi. They are also called glomeromycetes. There are about 230 different kinds of them. These fungi are part of the big kingdom of Fungi.
Most Glomeromycota form a unique partnership with plants. This partnership is called an arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM). They connect with the roots of most land plants, like trees, flowers, and grasses. They also connect with simpler plants called bryophytes. This special team-up helps both the plant and the fungus.
One type, Geosiphon pyriformis, is different. It does not form AMs with plants. Instead, it partners with tiny green bacteria called Nostoc cyanobacteria.
Most Glomeromycota need plants to get their food and energy. Plants make food using sunlight, and the fungi get some of that food. But scientists are now finding clues that some might be able to live on their own. These fungi live in soils all over the world. They are also found in wet places like salt-marshes.
Contents
How Glomeromycota Reproduce
Glomeromycota usually have long, thin threads called mycelia. These threads are like the body of the fungus. They reproduce without needing a partner. They make special spores, which are like tiny seeds. These spores are called Glomerospores. They can be quite small, from 80 to 500 micrometers wide. Some spores grow inside a small sac.
Scientists recently found that some Glomus fungi have genes needed for a process called meiosis. This is a way cells divide that is often linked to sexual reproduction. This suggests that Glomus species might have a hidden way of reproducing sexually.
How Glomeromycota Colonize Plants
New Glomeromycota fungi mostly grow where there are enough starting bits in the soil. These bits can be old fungal threads or pieces of infected roots. But the most important parts for starting new plant partnerships are the spores.
Spores are often spread by animals that dig in the ground. They can also be carried by the wind. Spores only sprout and grow when the conditions are just right. This includes the right amount of food, temperature, and if a plant host is nearby. More spores in the soil usually mean more plant roots will be colonized.
New studies show that plants also help. They release special chemicals. These chemicals attract the growing fungal threads from the spores. They also help the threads grow towards the plant's roots.
For Glomeromycota to colonize a plant, they need a few things. They need the plant's small roots. They also need to form special structures inside the root cells. And they need a strong network of fungal threads outside the root.
The fungi get into the roots in a few ways. Sprouting fungal threads can grow into the root hairs. Or they can form flat, sticky pads called appressoria that press between the root cells. This process is controlled by chemical signals. It also involves changes in the genes of both the plant and the fungus.
The fungal threads grow into the root's inner cells. They go through the cell walls but not the inner cell membrane. This creates a pocket inside the plant cell. Inside these pockets, the fungal threads branch out a lot. These highly branched structures are called arbuscules. They don't last very long before the plant cells absorb them.
A fully grown arbuscule helps nutrients move both ways. The plant gives the fungus sugars it makes from sunlight. In return, the fungus helps the plant get water and nutrients from the soil. This partnership helps the plant deal better with tough environmental conditions.
The History of Glomeromycota
Early studies of Glomeromycota looked at their spore clusters found near plant roots in the soil. Scientists used features like the shape, size, color, and how the spores reacted to stains. This helped them create a family tree for these fungi.
At first, one group called Glomus was mistakenly placed with a different family. Later, scientists realized Glomeromycota were unique. They were first put into their own groups, then given their own order with three families.
With new tools like molecular techniques, the classification changed a lot. By looking at their rRNA (a type of genetic material), scientists found that Glomeromycota share a common ancestor with another big group of fungi called Dikarya. Today, it's believed that Glomeromycota has four main groups, or orders.
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Paraglomerales |
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Some species that make Glomus-like spores actually belong to different groups. These were placed in the Paraglomerales and Archaeosporales orders. This new way of classifying includes the Geosiphonaceae. This family has one fungus, Geosiphon pyriformis, which partners with the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme. This fungus makes spores typical of this group and is in the Archaeosporales.
Scientists are still studying this field. Some members of Glomus might be better suited to different groups or families as more is learned.
Fossils of Glomeromycota have been found that are 2200 million years old. These include Diskagma, Horodyskia, and Prototaxites.
Images for kids
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Gigaspora margarita working together with Lotus corniculatus
See also
In Spanish: Glomeromycetes para niños
