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Do fungi have cell walls? If so what are they made of? How is that different than a plant's cell wall?

User Kenly
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Final answer:

Fungi possess cell walls, but instead of being made of cellulose like plants, they comprise of chitin. This difference is one of the factors that align fungi closer to animals than plants, as they also obtain nutrients like heterotrophs.

Step-by-step explanation:

Yes, fungi do have cell walls. In fact, the fungal cell wall is a defining feature of the organism. Unlike plants whose cell walls are made primarily of cellulose, the cell walls of fungi are made of chitin. Chitin is a tough carbohydrate that is also found in the exoskeletons of animals such as beetles and lobsters.

Fungi share some structural similarities with plants, as both have cell walls and inhabit similar environments like soil, but they lack chloroplasts and therefore cannot carry out photosynthesis. Instead, fungi are heterotrophs and must obtain nutrients from external sources.

This makes them more closely related to animals than to plants. Furthermore, they do not have structures equivalent to the xylem and phloem of plants, which are used for transporting water and nutrients.

User Yulanda
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