Final answer:
The number of genes in fungi varies widely among different species, and while early estimates suggested about 100,000 genes for typical eukaryotes, current knowledge indicates a much lower number. The kingdom Fungi encompasses a vast diversity of species, with an estimated 1.5 million different types of fungi possibly existing. Fungi are useful in genetic research due to their simpler eukaryotic structure and ease of manipulation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The number of genes in fungi varies significantly across different species. As eukaryotic organisms, fungi, such as Neurospora crassa and S. cerevisiae (commonly known as yeast), have been used extensively in modern genetics and biotechnology due to their simple cellular organization and genetic manipulability.
Despite the early estimates that typical eukaryotes might have approximately 100,000 genes, we now know that the actual number is much lower. Moreover, fungi's genomes contain a large proportion of DNA not accounted for by these genes, as revealed by renaturation kinetics experiments conducted by Britten and Davidson.
The kingdom Fungi is vast, with scientists identifying around 135,000 species, though the actual number present on Earth is likely much higher, with some estimates up to 1.5 million species. Fungal genetics can be quite complex due to this diversity. Fungi are considered important for various applications, including recombinant DNA technology, because they share some cellular processes with human cells but are easier to grow and manipulate genetically.