Classification of Fungi & Important Concepts

Published for NEET / AIPMT Prep • Read time: 4 mins

Kingdom Fungi is classified into various classes based on three primary structural and reproductive criteria:

Hierarchy of Fungi Classes

Fungi │ ┌──────────────────┴──────────────────┐ Phycomycetes Ascomycetes Basidiomycetes Deuteromycetes │ ┌────┴────┐ Oomycetes Zygomycetes

Features	Oomycetes (Algal fungi)	Zygomycetes (Conjugation fungi)	Ascomycetes (Sac fungi)
Habitat	Mostly aquatic	Terrestrial, mostly saprophytic, rarely parasitic	Terrestrial, saprophytic, decomposers, parasitic or coprophilous
Mycelium	Coenocytic and aseptate	Coenocytic and aseptate	Septate and branched
Cell Wall	Cellulosic	Chitinous	Chitinous
Asexual Reproduction	By zoospores	By sporangiospores	By conidia
Sexual Reproduction	Present	Present	Present
Type of Plasmogamy	Gametangial contact	Gametangial copulation or conjugation	Mostly all types of plasmogamy
Fruiting Body	ABSENT	ABSENT	Present called Ascocarp
Sexual Spore	Oospore	Zygospore	Ascospore
Site of Meiosis	Oospore	Zygospore	Ascus
Examples	Albugo, Phytophthora, etc.	Rhizopus, Mucor, etc.	Penicillium, Aspergillus, etc.

🔥 Key Exam Hotspot

Motile structures do NOT occur in the life cycle of Ascomycetes.

Name of Fungi	Class	Key Characteristics / Comments
(1) Albugo	Oomycetes	Causes white rust of crucifers
(2) Phytophthora	Oomycetes	Causes late blight of potato
(3) Rhizopus	Zygomycetes	Called bread mould
(4) Mucor	Zygomycetes	Called dung mould
(5) Yeast	Ascomycetes	Used to make beer and bread (Unicellular)
(6) Penicillium	Ascomycetes	Source of the antibiotic Penicillin
(7) Aspergillus	Ascomycetes	Called weed of laboratory
(8) Neurospora	Ascomycetes	Called Drosophila of plant kingdom
(9) Morels and Truffles	Ascomycetes	Are edible and considered delicacies