Concept in Definition ABC

In the world of fungi or Kingdom fungi there is a wide variety of species and these are studied in mycology. The term zygomycota refers to a way of dividing fungi. Therefore, the phylum zygomycota is the set of species with some shared characteristics, most of them related to the reproduction.

Characteristics of the fungi of the phylum zygomycota

These mushrooms are also known as zygomycetes. Its reproduction is asexual, which takes place through spores that are located in the fungus itself and that are dispersed by the action of the wind.

These species normally inhabit plant matter that is decomposing in the terrain and for this reason some species are considered parasites of plants or species animals.

Regarding its use, it has all kinds of applications: in the production of food, to tenderize meat, in the production of coloring, as an anesthetic substance or in the elaboration of alcohol. These applications are due to the mold that accumulates on the zygomycota phylum. This substance is the well-known black mold of bread.

The mold of these species is especially important to flavor the sausages. Thus, the spore that is deposited on the surface of the sausage germinates and begins to develop the mycelium.

Within the phylum zygomycota is the genus of the glomales. These fungi are highly valued in agronomy, as they enrich the soil.

The zygomycota phylum in the fungi Kingdom

All mushrooms, fungi and yeasts are not part of the vegetal kingdom, but of the so-called Fungi Kingdom. This can be classified according to its feeding (saprophytes, symbiotics or parasites). In this sense, the zygomycotas species have a symbiotic diet, since they are related to other organisms.

According to its structure, the Kingdom fungi if divided into four phyla: zygomycetes, basiodiomycetes, ascomycetes and deuteromycetes. The zygomycota species are integrated into the zygomycetes, which have a sexual and asexual reproduction (when the hyphae of the strains of the fungi fuse there is a sexual reproduction and when spores are formed that mature the final reproduction takes place asexual).

In the biological classification the Kingdom fungi belongs to a group of eukaryotic organisms. Its main characteristics are the following:

1) are heterotrophs, which implies that they do not produce their own food, as plants do

2) they have a wall mobile of chitin,

3) reproduce by spores,

4) they live in humid soils and

5) lack chlorophyll.

Photo: Fotolia - Kateryna_Kon

Themes in Zygomycota