Rhizopus: Identifying Blobs on Reproductive Structures
The question asks to identify the specific name for the tiny blobs found on the stick-like structures in the fungus *Rhizopus*.
Understanding Fungal Structures
Rhizopus, commonly known as bread mold, is a type of fungus. Its reproductive structures are key to its identification.
- Stick-like Structures: In *Rhizopus*, these are specialized aerial hyphae called sporangiophores.
- Tiny Blobs: Located at the tip of each sporangiophore is a swollen sac-like structure.
Identifying the Correct Term
The tiny, blob-like structures at the apex of the sporangiophores are called sporangia.
- Sporangia: These are the structures where asexual spores are produced and contained.
- Spores: These are the reproductive units found *inside* the sporangia.
- Hyphae: These are the basic, thread-like filaments forming the main body (mycelium) of the fungus.
- Roots: *Rhizopus* possesses rhizoids, which are root-like structures for anchoring and absorption, distinct from reproductive stalks.
Therefore, the "tiny blobs" are correctly termed sporangia.
Conclusion
The tiny blobs present on the stick-like structures (sporangiophores) in *Rhizopus* are called Sporangia.
Important Questions from Botany
One advantage of sexual reproduction over asexual reproduction is that it helps species to survive over long evolutionary time. This is because sexual reproduction produces :
During a laboratory experiment, a student immerses epidermal leaf peel in a hypertonic solution. After some time, the student examined the cells under a microscope and observed that:
After fertilization, the fruit and the seed are produced by
- Which one of the following groups is called 'amphibians of plant kingdom'?
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