A sclerotium is a compact mass of hardened fungal mycelium containing food reserves. One role of sclerotia is to survive environmental extremes. Slime mold belongs to protista kingdom and they also contains sclerotium. So are both same?
In mycology, the term sclerotium describes an organ or developmental stage, fulfilling the following requirements:
* They (should ideally) originate from hyphal aggregation.
* They (should ideally) accumulate carbon sources for future germination.
* They mature by further, limited growth and by hyphal branching and by loss of water.
* The outer layers develop a solid structure that prevents inner parts from ebvironmental damage.
In this respect - as there are no hyphae - the term sclerotium was not chosen too clever for mycetozoa. At the time of describing these structures in Mycetozoa, however, These were considered to be fungi. And of course, the function of these big structures is very comparable beteeen fungi and mycetozoa.
Dear Mohammed,
Fungal and myxomycetous sclerotia are similar in its functions. They are both suitable for unfavourable conditions survival and can re-establish a vegetative stage but they have rather dissimilar structure as well. Fungal sclerotia are made up of hyphae, often pseudoparenchymatous and are differentiated into medulla and cortex (often hard and melanized). Slime molds sclerotia consist of a number of walled compartments, spherules, which can fuse under favourable conditions to produce a new plasmodium. On further details on fungal sclerotia you can see
Heinz Clémençon. 2004. Cytology and Plectology of the Hymenomycetes (Bibliotheca Mycologica, Band 199). ISBN 978-3-443-59101-4
and a paper in attachment on slime molds sclerotia.
Best wishes,
Elena
A sclerotium is a compact mass of hardened fungal mycelium containing food reserves. One role of sclerotia is to survive environmental extremes. Slime mold belongs to protista kingdom and they also contains sclerotium.from plasmodium. or plasmodia
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