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Fungi
Ascomycetes vs Basidiomycetes
Two big fungal classes, told apart by where they make their sexual spores — in a sac, or on a club.
Ascomycetes (sac fungi)
Mostly multicellular with septate mycelium (Penicillium); some are yeasts (Saccharomyces). Sexual spores — ascospores — form INSIDE a sac called an ascus; asexual spores are conidia.
Basidiomycetes (club fungi)
Mushrooms, rusts and smuts. A dikaryotic mycelium forms a basidium, where karyogamy and meiosis make four basidiospores held OUTSIDE, on the club-shaped basidium.
The trap
Remember the container: asco = ascospores inside a sac (ascus); basidio = basidiospores outside, on a club (basidium). Sac inside, club outside.
Quick check
Basidiospores differ from ascospores in that they form:
- AInside a sac (ascus)
- BOutside, on a basidium
- CBy mitosis only
- DWithout meiosis