Hypha
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A hypha (plural hyphae) is a long, branching filament that, with other hyphae, forms the feeding thallus of a fungus called the mycelium. Hyphae are also found enveloping the gonidia in lichens, making up a large part of their structure. A typical hypha consists of a tubular wall, usually made of chitin, which surrounds, supports, and protects the cells that compose a hypha. For most fungi, a cell within a hyphal filament is separated from other cells by internal cross-walls called septa (singular septum).
Some forms of parasitic fungi have a portion of their hyphae modified to form haustoria that are able to penetrate the tissues of a host organism. Similar, yet mutualistic forms of penetrating hyphae are called mycorrhizae and are important in assisting nutrient and water absorption by plants.
See also: Coenocyte, yeast, septum.
External links
- Hypha image (http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/diseaseDiag/2.11._Hypha.htm).
- Hyphae (sing. hypha) (http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/pp318/intros/fungi/fungi.htm).
- Coenocytic hyphae (http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/images/130/Protista_I/Oomycota_Saprolegnia/Coenocytic_hyphae_MC.html).
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