Skip to main content
Zygomycetes

Zygomycetes

9.9
Fungi that often grow on bread or soil and make thick spores
  • noun
  • /ˌzaɪɡoʊˈmaɪsiːtiːz/
  • Archaic
translation icon : zigomíceos
  • Mucormycosis includes diseases caused by all members of the class Zygomycetes; hence, it is also known as zygomycosis.
  • class Zygomycetes

Examples

  • Some fungi in the Zygomycetes class are known to produce zygospores that help them survive adverse conditions.

  • The causative organisms are members of the family Mucoraceae, which belongs to the order Mucorales of the class Zygomycetes.

    Academic text (2004)
  • The study of Zygomycetes has revealed their unique role in the ecosystem as decomposers.

  • Many species classified as Zygomycetes are important in the production of fermented foods.

Synonyms

Zygomycota
vsZygomycetes
  • Archaic
9.9

A group of fungi that make zygospores when they reproduce sexually

is a former class that corresponds to that subdivision rather than a division
Zygomycotina
vsZygomycetes
  • Archaic
9.9

A former group of fungi that make thick sexual spores

is a former class matching that subdivision rather than a division in another phylum

Surface Forms

Zygomycetes singular
Zygomycetes plural

Morphology

Zygomycetes = Zygomycete (opaque) = zygo + mycete + s

The term is highly technical and built from combining forms unfamiliar to average learners, so knowing the parts does not let a learner infer the meaning.

Etymology

The word Zygomycetes comes from Greek parts zygo- meaning 'yoke' or 'join' and mycetes meaning 'fungus'. So Zygomycetes names fungi that form a 'joined' spore called a zygospore when two cells come together.