Vegetative Structure of Moulds, Thallus, Hyphae, Mycelium, Vegetative Hyphae, Fertile Hyphae, Septum, Pore, Parenthosome, Coenocytic

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Vegetative structures

The entire vegetative body of mould is called 'thallus' (pI. thalli); the thallus mostly consists of a mass of branching, intertwined filaments called hyphae (sign, hypha), and the whole mass of these hyphae is known as the mycelium (pI. mycelia).

The moulds may have one of three morphological types of hypha, (1) non-septate or coenocytic (no cross-walls or septa); septa are formed but strictly at the bases of the reproductive organs, (2) septate (with cross-walls) with uninucleate cells, and (3) septate with multinucleate cells.

Septa are either simple (a septum having simple circular pore in the middle) or dolipore (a septum that flares sharply and broadly in the middle forming a barrel-shaped structure with open ends).

The hyphae, functionally speaking, are of two types: (1) Vegetative hyphae: the hyphae meant for vegetative multiplication, anchorage and absorption, (2) Fertile hyphae: the hyphae meant for reproductive functions.

A. Coenocytic (non-septate) Hypha: B. Septate Hypha: C. Simple Septum: D. Dolipore Septum


A. Coenocytic (non-septate) Hypha, B. Septate Hypha	C. Simple Septum	D. Dolipore Septum

Flagella (sing. flagellum; , the organs of motility, are either whiplash (rachis with smooth wall surface) or tinsel (rachis bearing hairlike lateral projections called mastigonemesq or flimmers).

Anatomically, the fungal flagella resemble those of other eukaryotes i.e. they possess 9 + 2 arrangement.

Cell wall is a thin, tubular, transparent structure lined with a layer of protoplasm. Cellulose and chitin has long been considered to be the chief constituents of the cell wall.

However, recent studies have proved that instead of cellulose the chief constituents of the cell wall of oomycetous moulds

A. Whiplesh Flagellum: B. Tinsel Flagellum: C. Anatomy of a Flagellum


A. Whiplesh Flagellum	B. Tinsel Flagellum	C. Anatomy of a Flagellum

is b -glucan, a polymer of glucose; cellulose is a minority component.

Similarly, mannan and glucan are now being considered the main constituents of the cell walls of asco- and basidiomycetous molds instead of chitin; though chitin may well be present in appreciable amount.

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