Question

"Naked fungi" (slime molds) are naked

• A. When they are reproducing
• B. When they are not reproducing
• C. Always naked
• D. Never naked

Answer 1

The correct option is B When they are not reproducing

Slime molds are placed under myxomycetes and are characterized by presence of different morphology at different life stages. The vegetative stage of cellular slime molds is a haploid amoeboid cell and is known as pseudoplasmodium and that of acellular slime molds is multinucleate diploid amoeboid mass, known as plasmodium. Plasmodium is wall less mass of multinucleate protoplast surrounded by slime; hence the name “naked fungi”. This makes option D incorrect and B correct. Sexual reproduction under favourable condition in slime molds produces sporangia on fruiting bodies (sporocarp) which carry haploid spores. Spore formation includes cytoplasmic division of multinucleated protoplasm of sporangia to form uninucleate segments, each surrounded by cell wall. Thus reproductive phase of slime molds is not “wall-less/naked” but has cell wall. This makes options A and C incorrect. Correct answer is B.