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What is algae and fungi?
Fungi and Algae are two terms used in the zoological study of living beings that refer to unicellular organisms of certain characteristics. Fungi and Algae differ in many ways.

Fungi

Fungi is the plural form of the word ‘fungus’ which indicates the diverse group of unicellular or multinucleate organisms that live and grow on decomposed matter. In fact they are considered to be the very cause for decomposition. They lead their lives by decomposition. The class of fungus grows on mushrooms, mildews, rusts, yeasts, molds, smut and the like.

It is interesting to note that zoologists have classified Fungi as coming under the division of Thallophyta of the kingdom Plantae. The term ‘fungi’ is used in pathology in the field of medicine. In fact it refers to a spongy, abnormal growth as granulation tissue that is formed in a wound of an injury.

The adjectival form of ‘fungus’ is ‘fungous’ and the word is said to have originated from the Latin word ‘fungus’ which literally means ‘mushroom’.

Algae

On the other hand algae are the aquatic organisms that contain chlorophyll like the normal plants. It is important to know that they contain single cell to many cells in their body and can even form to the length of 100 feet. They can be easily distinguished from plants by the absence of roots, stems and of course leaves.

Algae are characterized by the lack of non-reproductive cells in the reproductive structures. Algae are classified into six phyta, namely, Crysophyta, Euglenophyta, Pyrrophyta, Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta and Rhodophyta.


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