Learn about the comparison between phycomycetes and ascomycetes.
Habitat:
Most Phycomycetes are aquatic and even the terrestrial ones have aquatic tendency. They are largely saprophytic than parasitic. Reverse is the case with the Ascomycetes where very few- species are true aquatic. They are mostly parasites of varying degree.
Somatic Body:
In the Phycomycetes it is very simple being composed of unicellular uninucleate, ill-developed mycelium to well-developed aseptate mycelium. In the Ascomycetes the mycelium in septate and may be developed to form plectenchymatous structures being differentiated into prosenchyma and pseudoparenchyma.
Asexual Reproduction:
In a large number of Phycomycetes asexual reproduction takes place by the development of flagellate spores which are borne in sporangia. But in the Ascomycetes such spores are non-flagellate and are not developed in sporangia.
Sexual Reproduction:
In many of the Phycomycetes sexual reproduction takes place by the formation of well-organized gametes developed in gametangia. But in the Ascomycetes there is usually absence of any such structure. Here the gametangia instead of bearing well-organized gametes contain nuclei embedded in a mass of cytoplasm.
In the Phycomycetes karyogamy follows immediately after plasmogamy. Whereas, in the Ascomycetes there is interval between plasmogamy and karyogamy which is occupied by a phase of dikaryotic condition. Here sexual reproduction leads to the development of a fruiting structure composed of fertile and sterile tissue which is altogether absent in the Phycomycetes.