Black truffles are a unique type of fungi that are highly prized by chefs and food enthusiasts throughout the world. Which characteristic is seen in truffles but not in common mushrooms?

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Black truffles are a unique type of fungi that are highly prized by chefs and food enthusiasts throughout the world. Which of these characteristics is seen in truffles but not in common mushrooms?

a. lack a reproductive phase

b. contains hyphae

c. has spores contained in ascus

d. has spores contained in basidia

Answer is C. Truffles has spores contained in the ascus.

Explanation:

Fungi like yeasts, molds and mushrooms are eukaryotic organisms which acts as main decomposers in the environment. Black truffles are aromatic edible fungi which belong to the ascomycota phylum. They are expensive and normally seen in the southern Europe. The main feature of the ascomycota is the ascus, a sexual spore bearing cell containing spores called ascospores. Black truffles are round shaped with black-brown skin and has small pyramidal cusps. It contains tightly interwoven hyphae (long filament like structure) and numerous asci (spore bearing cells). Each ascus contains some spores called ascopores, which is specific to fungi classified as ascomycetes. Mushrooms belong to the basidiomycota phylum. They are also composed of hyphae and reproduce sexually via the formation of specialized cells called basidia which have spores called basidiospores.

The characteristic which is seen in truffles but not in common mushrooms is that it has spores contained in ascus.

Explanation:

Black truffle is a prized food item which is a fungi but different from common mushroom in several ways. Truffles grow underground and their whole lifecycle is completed under the ground itself. They live in close association with some tree roots.

Truffle is indeed the fruit of a fungus called mycelium. Mycelium depends on the tree on whose root it lives to receive chlorophyll and in return to this favor the tree is supplied extra nutrients through the hyphal system.

In the fruiting phase the truffle becomes independent of the mycelium and derives nutrition in its own way using tiny filaments called hyphas. When the truffle withers underground, spores get released which are stored in bags called ascus.