Question

In the life cycle of ascomycetes and basidiomycetes, cells in fruiting bodies are
A. Monokaryotic and diploid (Ascus/Basidium)
B. Dikaryotic and haploid
C. Both
D. None

Answer 1

A basidium is a microscopic sporangium or a spore-producing structure which is found on the hymenophore part of the fruiting bodies of basidiomycetes fungi. These are also known as tertiary mycelium which develops from the secondary mycelium.

Complete step by step answer: Basidiomycota is the large division that constitutes the subkingdom Dikarya together with the Ascomycota in the kingdom Fungi. More precisely, Basidiomycota includes the following groups: mushrooms, puffballs, stinkhorns, bracket fungi, polypores and jelly fungi etc. Fungi are essentially divided into two groups namely; ascomycetes and basidiomycetes. The classification depends on their sexual spores. In the life cycle of both ascomycetes and basidiomycetes cells, the fruiting bodies are monokaryotic and diploid. In the group ascomycetes, the spores are formed within the asci. The asci can be cylindrical or spherical in shape and every ascus has eight spores and is monokaryotic. In the group basidiomycetes, spores develop on the projections which grow out from the basidia. Basidia are elongated and club-like structures and are diploid in nature. One basidium contains four projections and four spores. It possesses no septa or dividing walls.
Hence, the correct answer is option A.

Additional information: Fungi are generally classified into four groups: the Chytridiomycota (chytrids), Zygomycota (bread moulds), Ascomycota (yeasts and sac fungi) and the Basidiomycota (club fungi). The classification in a division is based on the method by which the fungus reproduces sexually.

Note: A recent classification classifies three subphyla, namely, Pucciniomycotina, Ustilaginomycotina, Agaricomycotina and two other class level taxa, namely, Wallemiomycetes and Entorrhizomycetes in the Basidiomycota group.