Which of the Following is a Characteristic of Hyphate Fungi

Question

Which of the following is a characteristic of hyphate fungi (fungi featuring hyphae)?
A)They acquire their nutrients by phagocytosis.
B)Their body plan is a unicellular sphere.
C)Their cell walls consist mainly of cellulose microfibrils.
D)They are adapted for rapid directional growth to new food sources.
E)They reproduce asexually by a process known as budding.

Accepted Answer

Hyphate fungi (fungi featuring hyphae) are adapted for rapid directional growth to new food sources. The hyphae allow for this growth as they are long, tubular cells with a high surface area to volume ratio. They are able to penetrate into soil, decaying matter or host tissue to acquire nutrients. Phagocytosis is a process by which cells engulf and digest particles, but it is not the mode of nutrient acquisition in hyphate fungi. Unicellular spheres are characteristic of yeasts, not hyphate fungi. The cell walls of hyphate fungi consist mainly of chitin, not cellulose. Asexual reproduction by budding is a characteristic of yeasts, not hyphate fungi.