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mjshroomer
Sage
Registered: 07/21/99
Posts: 13,774
Loc: gone with my shrooms
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Fungal Spores and Hyphae Microscopic Workshop for beginners
#5921694 - 08/01/06 12:11 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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A little classroom technology.
Here is a photograph taken with a microscope to show as an example of fungal spores and fungal filaments or hyphae. These spores were shot from a sporocarp of a Thailand Jelly Fungus suspended over a solid nutrient surface (agar). Some of the spores (now empty) have begun to germinate by producing a hyphae filament. These filaments will grow, branch and fuse to form a network in the solid nutrient substrate, just as they would in the logs where they grow in the forest. During the rainy season, the network of filaments will produce a sporocarp on the surface of the log, much like a mango tree produces flowers and fruit. This sporocarp will decay within a few days. However, the network of hyphae (sometimes called a mycelial network) remains in the wood, just like a mango tree remains after we pick its fruit.
 SEXUAL SPORES
There are two main groups of mushroom fuhgi. These are groupded according to the type of sexual spore they produce. One group is called the sac fungi (Ascomycetes), because their secual spores are contained within a sac-like structure or bag called as ascus ()pl. asci), from which they are usually forcibly shot away at maturity. An example can be viewed posted directly below the next paragraph.
Ascomycetes: This is a phtograph taken with the microscope. The preparation was stained with a red dye to make the structures easier to see. However, in reality they are colorless. Each ascus usually contans 8 spores and they can be seen here, each with one large and two small oil drops that are used to store energy for germination. One empty ascus, like an empty plastic bag now that the spores have been shot away, can also be seen. Others can be seen in progressive stages of development from small pink sacs.

The other group of 'mushroom fungi' is called the club fungi (Basidiomycetes), because their sexual spores are produced on a club-shaped structure called a basidium (pl. basidia). An example can be seen here posted below.
Each basidium usually has four spike-like appedages called sterigmata at the top and each can bare one spore. The spores are forcibly shot away inthe air at maturity. In this photograph, the spores (brown) have become dislodged form the basidia during preparation for viewing with the microscope.

You can see them shooting away in the emersion
Asci and basidia cannot be seen without a microscope. They are found on the surface or the interior of sporocarps.
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eris
underground


Registered: 11/17/98
Posts: 48,024
Loc: North East, USA
Last seen: 4 months, 18 days
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Re: Fungal Spores and Hyphae Microscopic Workshop for beginners [Re: mjshroomer]
#5921709 - 08/01/06 12:18 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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Nice post, thanks for taking the time to write it out.
I'd love to be able to do some microscope workshops. 
One of these days I'm getting microscope. Going to have to wait a while, because I'm not in good financial shape right now. 
Thanks for sharing, it helps motivate me more to get one.
-------------------- Immortal / Temporarily Retired The OG Thread Killer My mushroom hunting gallery
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Feelers
Anti-Myth-Rhythm-Rock-Shocker


Registered: 06/18/02
Posts: 1,806
Loc: Land of Oz
Last seen: 5 years, 8 months
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Re: Fungal Spores and Hyphae Microscopic Workshop for beginners [Re: eris]
#5922064 - 08/01/06 02:40 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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Hey thanks for that MJ. The shroomery definately needs a good write up such as this for microscopy work. A few of us are lucky enough to have access to microscopes, but it's a pretty confusing mess in a fungal microscope slide -Cystidia, pleurocystidia etc.
I dont suppose you could be convinced to make this a mini "series" of microscopy related info? Definately worthy of being added to the mushroom information tab.
Excellent pics aswell, MJ  
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georgeM
Human


Registered: 07/05/05
Posts: 1,748
Loc: Osage Cuestas
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Re: Fungal Spores and Hyphae Microscopic Workshop for beginners [Re: eris]
#5922307 - 08/01/06 03:54 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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Great pictures MJ. Microscopic work is fun for us nerdily inclined folks. I just found an AO microscope at a thrift store for a cool $20.00 however it needs a new 100x objective. I was so excited... still am. As it is the most powerful objective gives 430X magnification… so I’ve been pouring through my spore collections. fun fun
georgem
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