Do fungi have chloroplasts? The answer is not so simple. Some do and some don’t. This article goes into more detail about what exactly a chloroplast is, the many different types of fungi that can have them, and why they are important to know about!
-The answer to this question is not so simple. Some do, and some don’t have chloroplasts. This article goes into more detail about what exactly a chloroplast is, the many different types of fungi that can have them, and why they are important to know about!
The most well known feature of plants is chloroplasts. These are the components of plant cells that process sunlight into energy and turn carbon dioxide from the air into sugars for food through photosynthesis. But do other organisms have these structures? Some, but not all!
The group called fungi includes many different species that can be both single-celled or multi-cellular, with intricate and complex shapes. Fungi are heterotrophs, which means that they do not produce their own food like plants or animals do through photosynthesis. Instead, fungi break down organic matter in the environment to extract energy from it so they can survive.
A fungus with chloroplasts is called a Chytridomycete. This type of fungus absorbs nutrients by absorbing water, rather than breaking them down inside cells as other types of fungi do. Some species actually have two different kinds: those without chloroplasts use alternative sources for obtaining carbohydrates such as hydrogen gas (H), ammonium ions (NH) or nitrogen gas (N).
Some single-celled organisms also contain chloroplasts including Euglena and Volvox.
Fungi do not have chloroplasts, but some species of chytridomycete fungus do. Chloroplasts are found in single-celled organisms such as Euglena and volvox which is interesting because they use photosynthesis to produce their own food by breaking down organic matter through a process called chemosynthesis. Fungus does not contain chloroplast like these other lifeforms do!
Some fungi break down substances inside cells while others absorb nutrients from the environment with help from water molecules or hydrogen gas depending on the type of organism it is. Chytridiomycetes also known as “chytrids” sometimes contain chloroplasts, which are a type of photosynthetic organelle. The chloroplasts in fungi do not use the same process to create food, so they have evolved differently than ones found in other living organisms such as plants and algae.
Fungi do not contain chloroplasts similar to those seen on Euglena or Volvox but some species of Chytridiomycetes fungus do! It is interesting that these single-celled organisms containing chloroplasts produce their own food through chemosynthesis breaking down organic matter. Fungus does not contain this type of choloroplast like Eugenla or volvox do !
– Hydrogen gas depending on the type of organism it is. Chytridiomycetes also known as “chytrids” sometimes contain chloroplasts, which are a type of photosynthetic organelle. The chloroplast in fungus do not use same process to create food as chloroplasts do in other organisms such as Eugenla or Volvox.
