Question

A basidium is found within basidiocarp (fruiting body), is produced at the tip of hyphae, and is club-shaped. Which of the following choices is correct?

1) is found within basidiocarp (fruiting body).
2) is produced at the tip of hyphae.
3) is club-shaped.
4) All of the choices are correct.

Answer 1

The basidium is club-shaped, produced at the tip of hyphae, and found within the basidiocarp, which is the fruiting body of club fungi, responsible for producing basidiospores.

Step-by-step explanation:

The basidium is a structure found within the basidiocarp, also known as the fruiting body, of fungi belonging to the phylum Basidiomycota, commonly referred to as club fungi. The basidium is typically club-shaped and is produced at the tip of hyphae. These club-shaped structures are responsible for sexual reproduction in these fungi, undergoing karyogamy to become diploid cells, which then undergo meiosis to produce four haploid nuclei. These nuclei give rise to basidiospores, which are responsible for the dispersal and reproduction of the fungus.

Basidiocarps are more commonly recognized as mushrooms and can be quite large and conspicuous with various shapes, such as those with a stalk and cap, or shelf-like structures attached to trees. The basidia are often borne on gills or tubes within these structures, which facilitate spore dispersal.