Higher plants furnish complex, multilayered, spatially
and temporally diverse habitats that support species-rich
assemblages of microorganisms. Microfungi are dominant
components of those assemblages, colonizing foliar
and twig surfaces (epiphytes), internal tissues of foliage

(foliar endophytes), young and old bark (bark endophytes),
and wood (xylem endophytes and wood decomposers).
Increasing interest in cryptic occupation of
internal tissues of healthy plants by endophytic microfungi
has led to a growing awareness that higher plants
likely harbor a reservoir of undiscovered fungi.

The ability of fungi to invade plant and animal tissue was observed in early 19th century but the first documented
animal infection by any fungus was made by Bassi, who in 1835 studied the muscardine disease of silkworm and
proved the that the infection was caused by a fungus Beauveria bassiana.
In 1910 Raymond Sabouraud published his book Les Teignes, which was a comprehensive study of dermatophytic
fungi. He is also regarded as father of medical mycology.

Traditional method of the routine subculturing by transfer of fungal
cultures from staled to fresh media is not a very practical means of storing
large numbers of fungal cultures. It is time-consuming, prone to contamination,
and does not prevent genetic and physiological changes. At present,
besides freeze-drying (lyophilization), cryopreservation seems to be
the best preservation technique available for fungi.

MODULE 1:

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION OF FUNGI

MODULE 2:
CHARACTERISTICS, STRUCTURE AND CLASSIFICATION OF MAJOR FUNGAL GROUPS

MODULE 3:

REPRODUCTION IN FUNGI

UNIT 1: ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN FUNGI

UNIT 2: SEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN FUNGI

MODULE 4:

MYCOLOGY

UNIT 1 FUNGAL DISEASES IN MAN

UNITS 2: FUNGI DISEASES IN MAN (CONTINUED): SYSTEMIC (DEEP)
MYCOSES

UNIT 3: BENEFICIAL/IMPORTANCE OF FUNGI