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Ch. 29 - Fungi
Freeman - Biological Science 8th Edition
Freeman8th EditionBiological ScienceISBN: 9780138276263Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 29, Problem 9

Table 29.1 mentions that chytrids are responsible for massive die-offs currently occurring in amphibians. Review Koch's postulates; then design a study showing how you would use Koch's postulates to test the hypothesis that chytrid infections are responsible for frog deaths.

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1
Formulate the hypothesis: Chytrid infections are responsible for frog deaths.
Isolate the suspected pathogen: Collect samples from infected frogs and isolate the chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis).
Grow the pathogen in pure culture: Culture the isolated chytrid fungus in a controlled laboratory environment.
Inoculate healthy frogs: Introduce the cultured chytrid fungus to healthy frogs and observe if they develop the same symptoms and die-offs.
Re-isolate the pathogen: After the inoculated frogs show symptoms or die, re-isolate the chytrid fungus from these frogs to confirm it is the same pathogen initially isolated.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Koch's Postulates

Koch's postulates are a set of criteria established to determine whether a specific microorganism causes a particular disease. They include: the microorganism must be found in abundance in diseased organisms but not in healthy ones; it must be isolated and cultured; it should cause disease when introduced to a healthy organism; and it must be re-isolated from the experimentally infected host. These postulates are fundamental in microbiology for establishing causative relationships between pathogens and diseases.
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Chytrid Fungi

Chytrids are a group of fungi known for their aquatic habitats and unique reproductive structures, including motile spores and gametes. They play significant ecological roles, such as decomposing organic matter and forming mutualistic relationships with various organisms. However, certain chytrid species, like Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, are pathogenic to amphibians, leading to severe population declines and contributing to the global amphibian crisis.
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Amphibian Decline

The decline of amphibian populations is a significant ecological concern, attributed to various factors including habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and infectious diseases. Chytridiomycosis, caused by chytrid fungi, has been identified as a major driver of these declines, leading to mass die-offs in frog populations worldwide. Understanding the interactions between pathogens and host species is crucial for conservation efforts aimed at protecting amphibian biodiversity.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Evaluate each of the following defects. Which could lead to uncontrolled growth in cancer? Select True or False for each statement. T/FThe overexpression of MPF activity. T/FA nonfunctional Rb protein. T/FThe overexpression of G1 cyclin. T/FA nonfunctional E2F protein.

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Textbook Question

Lignin and cellulose provide rigidity to the cell walls of plants. But in most fungi, chitin performs this role. Why is it logical that most fungi don't have lignin or cellulose in their cell walls?

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Textbook Question

Lawns are sometimes fertilized with nitrate that can be washed into neighboring woodlots by rain. If the trees in that woodlot are associated with EMF, what effect might the excess nitrate have on the fungi and/or trees?

a. Fungal growth may be stimulated, causing the trees to transport more nitrogen to the fungi.

b. The fungi may secrete more peptidases to break down the nitrate.

c. The trees may take up the nitrate directly into their roots and rely less on the fungi.

d. The excess nitrate may stimulate the fungi to transport more sugar to the trees.

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Textbook Question

Many mushrooms are extremely colorful. One hypothesis is that the colors serve as a warning to prevent animals from eating mushrooms, much like the bright yellow and black stripes on wasps help to deter potential predators. Design an experiment to test this hypothesis.

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Textbook Question

Some fungi have elaborate mechanisms for dispersing spores. For example, the 'squirt gun' fungus Pilobolus, which grows in cow dung, forcibly shoots off tiny black sporangia filled with spores. Any sporangia that are flung onto fresh grass are likely to be eaten by a grazing cow, passed through its digestive system unharmed, and deposited in a new batch of dung. The spores carried within the sporangia are perfectly positioned to grow into a new mycelium.

Pilobolus is a zygomycete, and the sporangia just described produce asexual spores. In contrast, which of the following best describes what happens during the sexual phase of its life cycle?

a. It produces eight ascospores in each ascus.

b. It produces basidiospores that grow into mushrooms.

c. It produces motile sperm and eggs.

d. Hyphae from two compatible mating types fuse and form a zygosporangium.

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Textbook Question

Some fungi have elaborate mechanisms for dispersing spores. For example, the “squirt gun” fungus Pilobolus, which grows in cow dung, forcibly shoots off tiny black sporangia filled with spores. Any sporangia that are flung onto fresh grass are likely to be eaten by a grazing cow, passed through its digestive system unharmed, and deposited in a new batch of dung. The spores carried within the sporangia are perfectly positioned to grow into a new mycelium.

Both asexual sporangia (shown in the photo) and zygosporangia can be found in cow dung. Make a simplified drawing that illustrates the events of plasmogamy, karyogamy, and meiosis that occur during sexual reproduction in Pilobolus. Be sure to indicate and label the zygosporangium.

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