Fungal hyphae, SEM

Fungal hyphae. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the hyphae of a fungus. Hyphae are the tubular projections of multicellular fungi that form a filamentous network (mycelium). Fungal hyphae release digestive enzymes in order to absorb nutrients from food sources. Mycorrhizal fungi interconnect two different kinds of environments, namely the plant roots with the surrounding soil. This widespread coexistence of plants and fungi has important consequences for plant mineral nutrition, water acquisition, carbon allocation, tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses and interplant competition. Yet some current research indicates a number of important roles to be played by hyphae-associated microbes, in addition to the hyphae themselves, in foraging for and acquisition of soil resources and in transformation of organic carbon in the soil-plant system. Mag.: x120 at 10cm wide., by STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY