Reproductive Processes Of Fungi

Following a period of intensive growth, fungi enter a reproductive phase by forming and releasing vast quantities of spores. Spores are usually single cells produced by fragmentation of the mycelium or within specialized structures (sporangia, gametangia, sporophores, etc.). Spores may be produced either directly by asexual methods or indirectly by sexual reproduction. Sexual reproduction in fungi, as in other living organisms, involves the fusion of two nuclei that are brought together when two sex cells (gametes) unite. Asexual reproduction, which is simpler and more direct, may be accomplished by various methods.