What are some physical characteristics of fungi?
Characteristics All fungi have a range of features that clearly separate them from other organisms and help to define the fungal kingdom.[4] * All fungi are eukaryotic, containing membrane-bound nuclei with chromosomes. Some characteristics of eukaryotes shared by fungi include the presence of membrane-bound cytoplasmic organelles, DNA with noncoding regions called introns, sterol-containing membranes, and ribosomes of the 80S type. * Fungi typically grow as hyphae, which extend at their tips. This apical growth is in contrast with other filamentous organisms, like filamentous green algae, which grow by repeated cell divisions within a chain of cells (intercalary growth). Some fungi grow as single-celled yeasts which reproduce by budding, and some dimorphic fungi can switch between a yeast phase and a hyphal phase in response to environmental conditions. * Fungi are heterotrophic, requiring preformed organic compounds as energy sources and also as carbon skeletons for organic synthesis
