While hiking through a forest, you discover a fungus growing on the remains of a decaying tree trunk. You hypothesize that it is a basidiomycete fungus because it resembles a mushroom in shape and size. If your logic is correct, microscopic analysis of the tissue found in the stalk of this fungus will reveal the presence of _____.

• A. monokaryotic cells with a haploid nucleus
• B. monokaryotic cells with diploid nuclei
• C. dikaryotic cells with diploid nuclei
• D. more than one of the cell types listed
• E. dikaryotic cells with haploid nuclei

Answer: (E)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Begin by understanding the characteristics of basidiomycete fungi. These fungi are known for their reproductive structures called basidia, where sexual spores are produced.
2. Recognize that basidiomycetes typically have a life cycle that includes a stage with dikaryotic cells. Dikaryotic cells contain two nuclei per cell, each from different parent cells, but these nuclei remain separate and are haploid.
3. Consider the structure of the fungus you found. The stalk of a mushroom, which is part of the basidiocarp, often contains dikaryotic cells. This is a key feature of basidiomycetes during their reproductive phase.
4. Evaluate the options given in the problem. You are looking for the presence of dikaryotic cells with haploid nuclei, which is characteristic of the basidiomycete life cycle before the fusion of nuclei occurs.
5. Conclude that the correct answer is dikaryotic cells with haploid nuclei, as this matches the expected cellular structure in the stalk of a basidiomycete fungus.