Dikarya

Dikarya is a subkingdom of the kingdom Fungi that includes two of the most familiar phyla, the Ascomycota and the Basidiomycota. These fungi are distinguished by having a life cycle that includes a stage in which cells contain two separate nuclei, a condition known as dikaryon.

Classification

The Dikarya are one of four subkingdoms within the kingdom Fungi, the others being the Chytridiomycota, the Blastocladiomycota, and the Zygomycota. The Dikarya are distinguished from these other fungi by a unique life cycle that includes a dikaryotic stage, in which cells contain two genetically distinct nuclei.

Characteristics

Dikarya fungi are characterized by a unique life cycle that includes a dikaryotic stage, in which cells contain two genetically distinct nuclei. This is in contrast to most other fungi, which are typically haploid and have only one nucleus per cell. The dikaryotic stage is a result of a sexual reproduction process in which two haploid cells fuse, but their nuclei do not immediately combine. Instead, the two nuclei coexist in the same cell and divide simultaneously. This stage lasts until the formation of spores, at which point the two nuclei fuse to form a diploid nucleus, which then undergoes meiosis to produce haploid spores.

Phyla

The Dikarya includes two phyla:

• Ascomycota - Also known as sac fungi, they are the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species. The defining feature of this fungal group is the "ascus" (from Greek: ἀσκός (askos), meaning "sac" or "wineskin"), a microscopic sexual structure in which nonmotile spores, called ascospores, are formed.

• Basidiomycota - Commonly known as club fungi, they are characterized by the production of spores (basidiospores) on the outside of a club-shaped structure called a basidium.

See also

• Mycology
• Fungal reproduction
• Hypha

References

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