Difference between Plants and Fungi

Classification and Characteristics

• R.H. Whittaker's Classification: Organisms classified based on cellular organization, reproduction, phylogeny, and mode of nutrition.
• Plants and Fungi: Placed under separate kingdoms due to differences in characteristics.

Plants

• Type: Multicellular, eukaryotic autotrophs.
• Cell Wall: Rigid, made of cellulose.
• Structure: Composed of parts for support, anchorage, and photosynthesis.
• Chlorophyll: Present, facilitating photosynthesis.
• Role in Ecosystem: Primary producers.
• Food Storage: As starch.
• Reproduction:
  • Sexual: Fusion of male and female gametes.
  • Asexual: Apomixis and vegetative propagation.
• Classification: Thallophyta, Pteridophyta, Bryophyta, Gymnosperms, Angiosperms.
• Examples: Coconut tree, Rose plant.

Fungi

• Type: Eukaryotic, both microscopic (yeast) and macroscopic (mushrooms).
• Structure: Filamentous with hyphae forming mycelium.
• Cell Wall: Made of chitin.
• Chlorophyll: Absent.
• Mode of Nutrition: Heterotrophic (decomposers).
• Food Storage: As glycogen.
• Reproduction:
  • Sexual: Fusion of cytoplasm and nuclei, meiosis to produce spores.
  • Asexual: Through spores, budding, or fragmentation.
• Classification: Ascomycetes, Zygomycetes, Basidiomycetes, Deuteromycetes.
• Examples: Molds, Mushrooms.

Similarities between Plants and Fungi

• Both are eukaryotes.
• Both lack movement or locomotion.
• Both have membrane-bound nuclei.

FAQs

What is Mycology?

• The study of fungi, including yeast and mushrooms, focusing on structure, properties, and relationships with other organisms.

Do Fungi Have Chloroplast?

• No, fungi do not have chloroplast or chlorophyll. They are heterotrophic: symbiotic, parasitic, or saprophytic.

What are Cryptogams and Phanerogams?

• Cryptogams: Non-flowering plants (bryophytes, thallophytes, pteridophytes).
• Phanerogams: Flowering (angiosperms) and non-flowering plants (gymnosperms).

Additional Resources

• Extended reading on Kingdom Fungi.
• Plant Kingdom Classification: Plant Kingdom Classification.

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