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Multiple Choice
What role do pheromones play in fungal sexual reproduction?
A
Pheromones allow the hyphae of two distinct mycelia to follow each other as they grow.
B
After plasmogamy, pheromones cause the haploid nuclei from each parent to exchange genes.
C
Pheromones initiate zygotes to form during karyogamy.
D
Pheromones initiate the production of spores in molds.
E
Fungi use these chemical signals to determine whether a potential sexual partner is of a suitable mating type.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand that pheromones are chemical signals used by organisms to communicate with each other, often to facilitate mating or other social interactions.
In the context of fungi, pheromones play a crucial role in sexual reproduction by helping to identify compatible mating types. This is important because fungi often have multiple mating types, and successful reproduction requires the pairing of compatible types.
When two distinct mycelia (the vegetative part of a fungus) come into contact, they release pheromones to signal their presence and compatibility. This helps the hyphae (the branching filaments that make up the mycelium) of the two fungi to grow towards each other.
Once the hyphae of compatible mating types meet, plasmogamy occurs, which is the fusion of the cytoplasm from the two parent mycelia. However, the nuclei remain separate at this stage.
The role of pheromones is primarily to ensure that the fungi are of compatible mating types before plasmogamy occurs, rather than directly causing genetic exchange or spore production. This ensures that the subsequent stages of sexual reproduction, such as karyogamy (fusion of nuclei) and spore formation, can proceed successfully.