Question

explain in detail how fungi reproduce sexually?

Answer 1

Sexual reproduction in the fungi consists of three sequential stages: plasmogamy, karyogamy, and meiosis. The diploid chromosomes are pulled apart into two daughter cells, each containing a single set of chromosomes (a haploid state). Plasmogamy, the fusion of two protoplasts (the contents of the two cells), brings together two compatible haploid nuclei. At this point, two nuclear types are present in the same cell, but the nuclei have not yet fused. Karyogamy results in the fusion of these haploid nuclei and the formation of a diploid nucleus (i.e., a nucleus containing two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent). The cell formed by karyogamy is called the zygote. In most fungi the zygote is the only cell in the entire life cycle that is diploid. The dikaryotic state that results from plasmogamy is often a prominent condition in fungi and may be prolonged over several generations. In the lower fungi, karyogamy usually follows plasmogamy almost immediately. In the more evolved fungi, however, karyogamy is separated from plasmogamy. Once karyogamy has occurred, meiosis (cell division that reduces the chromosome number to one set per cell) generally follows and restores the haploid phase. The haploid nuclei that result from meiosis are generally incorporated in spores called meiospores