PATH / PBIOL 4200/6200
Charles Mims, Instructor

COURSE OBJECTIVES AND LEARNING OUTCOMES:

The objective of this course is to introduce students to the study of organisms included in the Kingdom Fungi. Emphasis is placed upon the morphology and taxonomy of fungi. However, considerable attention also is focused upon the basic biology of fungi including their roles in various ecosystems and their direct and indirect impacts upon humans. Students will receive hands on experience examining numerous macroscopic and microscopic fungal specimens and will be taught to recognize a large number of important species on sight. Students who successfully complete the course should be familiar with all major groups of fungi as well as with many important species and should be well-equipped to enroll in advanced level mycology courses or to work with fungi in industrial settings as well as in biological and biomedical laboratories.

COURSE MATERIAL:

Recommended text book is Introductory Mycology by Alexopoulos, Mims and Blackwell, 4th edition, 1996, John wiley and Sons, Inc. 

ATTENDANCE POLICY:

There is no attendance policy and no additional assignments.

GRADING POLICY:

The grade is determined on the basis of three 100 point lecture exams and two 100 point lab exams. Tests for grad students differs from those for undergrads. Grading scale is the same as shown above for 3010. Makeups are handled on a case-by-case basis.

TOPIC OUTLINE:

• Introduction, course requirements, testing and grading

• Characteristics of fungi, conditions necessary for growth, introduction to taxonomy
• Myxomycota - the true plasmodial slime molds
• Introduction to the Basisiomycota
• Basidiomycetes continued: typical life cycle, genetics, etc.
• Basidiomycetes continued: Order Aphyllophorales
• Basidiomycetes continued: Order Agaricales
• Basidiomycetes continued: mushroom growing, edible, poisonous and hallucinogenic species
• Basidiomycetes continued: gasteromycetes, Exobasidiales, Dacrymycetales
• Mycorrhizae
• Basidiomycetes continued: Tremellales, Auriculariales, introduction to the Uredinales
• Basidiomycetes continued: Uredinales - the rust fungiBasidiomycetes continued: Ustilaginales - the smut fungi
• Introduction to Ascomycetes and Deuteromycetes
• Deuteromycetes continued: Saccardoan classification
• Deuteromycetes as plant and humans pathogens and as industrially important organisms
• Ascomycetes continued: typical life cycle, ascus and ascocarp types
• Ascomycetes continued: Archisascomycetes and Saccharomycetales
• Ascomycetes continued: Eurotiales and ascomycetes with perithecia
• Ascomycetes with perithecia continued and the powdery mildew fungi
• Ascomycetes with apothecia and ascostroma
• Zygomycota
• Chytridiomycota
• Oomycota
• Oomycota continued: the Saproleginales and Peronosporales
• Fungi as human pathogens
• Human pathogens continued