• widespread - lakes, streams, soil
• have flagella
• chiten cell walls
• absorptive radiation
• coenocytic hyphae
• saprob, parasite, or mutualist 

• saprobs, some parasites
• coencytic hyphae
• asexual phase, sexual phase - produce resistant zygosporangium

• form arbuscular mycorrhizae - penetrate root cells, associate with plants
• supplies phosphate, minerals and water

unicellular yeasts, molds, cup fungus, morels, truffles

form sexual spores in sac-like asci

saprobes, some mutualists, plant pathogens

conidia - axexual spores at tip of hypae - fuse to form plasmogomy

break down lignin and cellulose of wood

produce sexually by froducing fruiting bodies called basidiocarps