Mycelium

Christina Krucylak Fungi Problem Set AP Biology April 2, 2013 Fungi are heterotrophs and therefore cannot make their own food, like plants can. They absorb nutrients from the outside environment. They use enzymes to either breakdown complex molecules into simpler ones for easier absorption or to break down cell walls or membranes to absorb nutrients from a host. Fungi have a wide range of ?hosts? and they can range from parasitic relationships to mutualistic ones. Hyphae are a network of tubular membranes surrounding the plasma membrane and cytoplasm of cells. This network is both above and below ground. A mycelium is more or less the subterranean part of a hyphae tube network. A mycelium infiltrates the material on which the fungus feeds off of.