Tanya, Isaac and LeilaChytrids Information Sheet

What are they? - It is a fungus in the phylum Chytridiomycota and in the supergroup Opisthokonta. - One of 1,000 other fungi part of the chytridiomycota group.- They are decomposers and feast on dead or rotting organic matter and animals- They are also able to mutate and act as predators to other organisms, they are considered parasites (this particular fungus live off of and genetically alter the host they enter).

What do they look like?- Chytrids form colonies with hyphae and others exists as singular spherical cells- Have cell walls made of Chitin, have common traits with other fungi groups, such as: key enzymes, multicellular and metabolic pathways- Unique trait: have flagellated zoospores and produce haploid as well as diploid nuclei via mitosis in the hyphae

What do they do?- Chytrids are actually very dangerous when they are parasites.EX. Bd or Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is a fungal parasite that has in recent years wiped out hundreds of amphibian populations to extinction. (About 200-500 species have become extinct)- 30% of fungi are deadly- Chytrids (Bd) can cause severe skin infections leads to massive die-offs in frogs. - They can reproduce either through sexual or asexual means- They heterotrophs that get their food by absorbing it from the environment around them, whether that is in a frog or in an aqueous habitat.

Where do they live?- Primarily live in aqueous habitats; lakes, ponds, rivers, etc.- Some are even found in soil - They also live on plants and in invertebrate animals as a fungal parasite, dont worry they cant harm humans- Chytrids thrive and are deadly to amphibians - frogs

Why is it important to know about Chytrids? - It can be treated through medications and disinfections- Chytrids spread preferably in moist and cooler environments and the zoospore flagella aids this movement. Spread primarily via infected organism to uninfected organism Humans can cause spread of Bd- IUCN describes Chytridiomytocis as: the worst infectious disease ever recorded among vertebrates in terms of the number of species impacted, and its propensity to drive them to extinction. (Amphibian Ark, 2014)- Chytrids is not the only thing that affects the wipeout of amphibian populations; the loss of habitat and space also causes large threats to frog species.

References: Reece. J. B et al. (2015). Campbell Biology. Canada: Pearson Education. Pessier. A. 2014. Chytrid Fungus. Amphibian Ark. http://www.amphibianark.org/the-crisis/chytrid-fungus/. Accessed 27, 28, 01/10/14. Blog spot. Infolinks [internet] life of plant. http://lifeofplant.blogspot.ca/2011/05/chytrids.html. Accessed 27, 28, 01/10/14.