Question

Which of the following are the other names for Ray fungi?
(a) Phycomycetes
(b) Ascomycetes
(c) Actinomycetes
(d) Basidiomycetes

Answer 1

Ray fungi are gram-positive, non-motile, non-sporing, non-capsulated, and filamentary fungus-like bacteria. They are mostly found in soil. The cells remain close to each other in the form of branching filaments which are similar to fungal hyphae.

Complete answer:
Actinomycetes are also known as ray fungi. Their cells remain close to each other in the form of branching filaments which resemble the fungal hyphae. Their cells are typically prokaryotic without an organized nucleus and membrane-bound organelles. The cells are covered by a thin cell wall made up of peptidoglycan, muramic acid, and diaminopimelic acid. Actinomycetes do not produce endospores but many of them produce fungal type aerial conidiophores and conidia. The filaments of Actinomycetes often break into bacillary and coccoid elements. Actinomycetes multiply by fragmentation, and asexually by germination of conidia. Endospore formation and sexual reproduction are absent.

Additional Information:
-Actinomycetes are mostly found in soil. They are important as Decomposers to bring about the decomposition of the organic matter. Some of them like Nocardia and Streptomycetes are responsible for the smell of the damp soil.
-Ascomycotina is a large group of true fungi. Its members are generally called sac-fungi on the ground that their ascospores are formed within small, sac-like sporangia called asci. Yeasts, powdery mildews, cup-fungi, edible morels, truffles, and blue-green, brown, and pink moulds are common examples.
-Basidiomycotina is the largest fungal group comprising the most highly evolved forms. They are fungi with septate and multicellular mycelium, dolipore septum, club-shaped basidia, and well-developed basidiocarps.

So, the correct answer is ‘Actinomycetes’.

Note:
-Several species collectively called streptomycetes, are important sources of antibiotics and they produce streptomycin, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, etc.
-some Actinomycetes are pathogenic to plants, animals, and human beings.
-Mycobacterium leprae which causes leprosy, M. tuberculosis which causes tuberculosis, etc are examples.