SAPROPHYTES 383 



Since this is the only method of reproduction possessed by 

 bacteria, they are often called FISSION FUNGI (Fig. 262). All 

 non-green plants whose bodies are not differentiated into root, 

 stem, and leaves are known as FUNGI (singular, fungus). 



The characteristic method of reproduction possessed by the 

 yeasts is known as BUDDING (Fig. 263) . A yeast plant, like a 

 bacterium, consists also of a single cell but it does not repro- 

 duce by dividing this cell into two equal parts. Instead of this, 

 a small bud begins to grow on one side of the original cell and, 



FIG. 262. Bacteria. Fio. 263. Yeast cells. 



after it has attained some size, cuts itself off from the parent 

 cell. A single yeast plant may give rise to several offspring 

 in this way, whereas a single bacterium can give rise to but 

 two immediate offspring and neither of these can be regarded 

 as the parent of the other. On account of the method of re- 

 production found among the yeasts, they are often called 



BUDDING FUNGI. 



The characteristic method of reproduction among the molds 

 is by means of SPORES (Fig. 264). The plant body of a mold 

 generally consists of several or many cells and certain portions 

 of this plant body produce great numbers of very small oval- 

 shaped cells which are called spores. These spores are capable 

 of growing into mold plants like the ones that produced them 

 whenever they are surrounded by suitable conditions. A study 

 of different kinds of molds will reveal the fact that they do not 

 all produce their spores in just the same way, and that their 

 plant bodies differ widely in important features. In fact the 

 plants which we shall here group under the general name MOLD 

 belong to several distinct groups of fungi, and so they do not 



