What is Paramyrothecium indicum?
17-01-2024
10:02 AM
1 min read
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Overview:
Scientists recently discovered a new species of fungus in Kerala, named ‘Paramyrothecium indicum’.
About Paramyrothecium indicum
- It is a new species of phytopathogenic fungus.
- Phytopathogens are parasites surviving on a plant host.
- Most of Paramyrothecium are phytopathogens.
- They are responsible for “serious plant diseases which might negatively affect crop productivity.
- Paramyrothecium leaf spots are a type of fungal disease that can affect a variety of plants.
- Some species of Paramyrothecium produce secondary metabolites with bio-herbicidal potentials” and, therefore, may find application in controlling weeds.
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Key Facts about Fungi
- Fungi, along with Animalia (animals), Plantae (plants), Protista, Archaea/Archaebacteria, and Bacteria or Eubacteria, form the six ‘kingdoms’ of biology.
- Fungi includes the yeasts, rusts, smuts, mildews, molds, and mushrooms.
- They are eukaryotic organisms, i.e., their cells contain membrane-bound organelles and clearly defined nuclei.
- Reproduction: Fungi usually reproduce both sexually and asexually.
- Distribution:
- Fungi are either terrestrial or aquatic, the latter living in freshwater or marine environments.
- They are found in all temperate and tropical regions of the world where there is sufficient moisture to enable them to grow.
- A group called the decomposers grows in the soil or on dead plant matter, where they play an important role in the cycling of carbon and other elements.
- Some are parasites of plants causing diseases such as mildews, rusts, scabs, or canker. In crops, fungal diseases can lead to significant monetary losses for the farmer.
- A very small number of fungi cause diseases in animals. In humans, these include skin diseases such as athletes’ foot, ringworm, and thrush.
- Fungi are essential to many household and industrial processes, notably the making of bread, wine, beer, and certain cheeses.
Q1) What is Protista?
Protists are a group of all the eukaryotes that are not fungi, animals, or plants. As a result, it is a very diverse group of organisms. The eukaryotes that make up this kingdom, Kingdom Protista, do not have much in common besides a relatively simple organization. Protists can look very different from each other. Some are tiny and unicellular, like an amoeba, and some are large and multicellular, like seaweed.
Source: Scientists from KFRI, BHU and BSI discover new species of fungus in Kerala