| Lichens - Glossary |
| -- A -- Apothecium {pl. apothecia). cup-shaped, spore-bearing structures produced by certain types of fungi and lichens. Ascospores these are the spores of sexual origin, produced inside the ascus. Ascus (Pl. asci.) a sac-like cell of an ascomycete within which ascospores are formed. Asexual a form of reproduction neither preceded nor followed by meiosis in fungi and lichens -- B -- -- C -- Carbohydrate organic compound consisting of a chain of carbon atoms to which hydrogen and oxygen are attached in a 2:1 ratio, e.g., sugars, starch, glycogen, cellulose. Chlorophyll the green pigment of plants that captures the energy from sunlight necessary for photosynthesis. Chlorophyta a green alga, division of the Protista Kingdom Chromosome a thread-like structure in the nucleus of a cell, containing a linear sequence of genes. Cilium (pl. cilia) a short hair. Cortex the dense, outermost layer of most thalli. Cyanobacterium (pl. cyanobacteria) a blue-green alga from the Monera Kingdom Cytoplasm the contents of a cell; includes the organelles but not the nucleus. -- D -- Diploid having two of the basic sets of chromosomes in the nucleus. -- E -- Eukaryote cell or organism with a membrane-bound, structurally discrete nucleus and other well-developed subcellular compartments. -- F -- -- G -- -- H -- Hypha (pl. hyphae) a fungal filament. -- I -- Isidia simple or branched protuberances of the cortex in lichens, which may break off and act as a form of vegetative propagule. -- J -- -- K -- -- L -- Lobulate with small lobes. -- M -- Meiosis the process in which a single diploid cell becomes four haploid cells in two consecutive divisions of the nucleus of an eukaryotic cell. Mycobiont the fungal partner of a lichen -- N -- Nucleus (Pl. nuclei, adj. nuclear) the cellular organelle in eukaryotes that contains the genetic material. -- O -- Organelle a membrane-bound body found in the cytoplasm of the cell that performs specific cellular functions. -- P -- Pendulous hanging down. Photobiont the photosynthetic partner of a lichen, it can be either a green alga or a cyanobacterium or some times both types. Photosynthesis the process by which plants convert sunlight into energy. Podetium (pl. podetia) a stalk-like algae-containing base of an apothecium Propagule a thallus fragment containing both the mycobiont and photobiont. -- Q -- -- U -- -- R -- Rhizine a root-like cluster of hyphae adapted for attaching a thallus to its substrate. -- S -- Sexually Reproduction - the fusion of gametes followed by meiosis and recombination at some point in the life cycle. Soredia (sing. Soredium) lichen propagules -- small aggregations of fungal hyphae around alga cells; formed by the break up of a thallus. Spore a reproductive body produced by certain fungi and other organisms, capable of growing into a new individual under proper conditions. Substrate the surface which an organism is growing on. -- T -- Thallus (pl. Thalli) - the usually ill-defined `body' of a lichen. -- U -- -- V -- -- W -- -- X -- -- Y -- Yellow a color used to indicate that a word is linked to the glossary. Only show in vesion 4+ browsers. -- Z -- |
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