Question

Which of the following is a characteristic of hyphate fungi (fungi featuring hyphae)?

A) They acquire their nutrients by phagocytosis.
B) Their body plan is a unicellular sphere.
C) Their cell walls consist mainly of cellulose microfibrils.
D) They are adapted for rapid directional growth to new food sources.
E) They reproduce asexually by a process known as budding.

Answer 1

D) They are adapted for rapid directional growth to new food sources.

Step-by-step explanation:

Hyphae are thread-like structures that make up the body of hyphate fungi, and they are adapted for rapid directional growth to explore new sources of nutrients. This enables hyphate fungi to colonize and absorb nutrients from a wide range of substrates. Option A is incorrect, as phagocytosis is a method of nutrient acquisition used by some protists and animal cells, but not by fungi. Option B is incorrect, as unicellular organisms with a spherical body plan are known as cocci, which are not fungi. Option C is incorrect, as cellulose is a type of polysaccharide found in the cell walls of plants, algae, and some bacteria, but not in fungi. Option E is incorrect, as budding is a method of asexual reproduction used by some yeasts and other unicellular organisms, but not by hyphate fungi.