Paramyrothecium indicum- Fungus

Scientists recently discovered a new species of fungus in Kerala, named ‘Paramyrothecium indicum’.

Paramyrothecium indicum

• It is a new species of phytopathogenic fungus.
• Phytopathogens are parasites surviving on a plant host. 
• Most of Paramyrothecium are phytopathogens.
• They are responsible for “serious plant diseases which might negatively affect crop productivity.
• Paramyrothecium leaf spots are a type of fungal disease that can affect a variety of plants.
• Some species of Paramyrothecium produce secondary metabolites with bio-herbicidal potentials” and, therefore, may find application in controlling weeds.

Key Facts about Fungi

• Fungi, along with Animalia (animals), Plantae (plants), Protista, Archaea/Archaebacteria, and Bacteria or Eubacteria, form the six ‘kingdoms’ of biology.
• Fungi includes the yeasts, rusts, smuts, mildews, molds, and mushrooms. 
• They are eukaryotic organisms, i.e., their cells contain membrane-bound organelles and clearly defined nuclei.
• Reproduction: Fungi usually reproduce both sexually and asexually. 
• Distribution:
  • Fungi are either terrestrial or aquatic, the latter living in freshwater or marine environments.
  • They are found in all temperate and tropical regions of the world where there is sufficient moisture to enable them to grow.
• A group called the decomposers grows in the soil or on dead plant matter, where they play an important role in the cycling of carbon and other elements.
• Some are parasites of plants causing diseases such as mildews, rusts, scabs, or canker. In crops, fungal diseases can lead to significant monetary losses for the farmer.
• A very small number of fungi cause diseases in animals. In humans, these include skin diseases such as athletes’ foot, ringworm, and thrush.
• Fungi are essential to many household and industrial processes, notably the making of bread, wine, beer, and certain cheeses.

Protista?

Protists are a group of all the eukaryotes that are not fungi, animals, or plants. As a result, it is a very diverse group of organisms. The eukaryotes that make up this kingdom, Kingdom Protista, do not have much in common besides a relatively simple organization. Protists can look very different from each other. Some are tiny and unicellular, like an amoeba, and some are large and multicellular, like seaweed.