Pilobolus Research Paper

Pilobolus, which is also known as the hat-thrower fungus, is a fungus that belongs in the group of Zygomycota. Pilobolus is known for its rapid spore dispersal and an interesting life cycle. It initiates with a black sporangium, which is launched onto a plant substrate Animals that feed on plant substrates such as horses unknowingly, consume the sporangium along with the substrate. The Pilobolus sporangium has to pass through the gastrointestinal track of grazing animals from which comes out without germinating as part of the excrement. Once they leave the host, spores that are found inside the sporangium germinate and grow within the excrement. Pilobolus feeds on the feces of animals in which it is the primary colonizer.
The fruiting structure of Pilobolus is know as sporangiophore, reproduces asexualy and is unique. It is made of a fluid-filled transparent stalk, which grows above the excrement and has an oval shape called subsporangial vesicle. On top of each ssubsporangial vesicle a

Animals do not eat near their excrement, which is knows as the zone of repugnance. In order for Pilobolus to survive, it has to go through a grazing animal’s gut and to do so they need to disperse their spores as far away as possible. However, the disadvantage of being that small is that the air gets really thick which and therefore the sporangium needs to gain great speed in order to survive. Besides being the fastest thing on the planet Pilobolus has acquired other adaption as well. In order to make sure to get into the animal’s gut it sticks to the grass where it lands. This is made possible by the calcium oxalate crystals that cover the sporangium. These crystals have a hydrophobic nature, which causes the sporangium to turn over onto the clingy part of dew, thus giving Pilobolus better chances to get eaten by an