Sordaria fimicola
1301158
226115443
2008-07-16T21:54:17Z
Ka Faraq Gatri
6892069
Category:Sordariomycetes
{{Taxobox
| name = ''Sordaria fimicola''
| regnum = [[Fungus|Fungi]]
| phylum = [[Ascomycota]]
| classis = [[Ascomycetes]]
| ordo = [[Sphaeriales]]
| familia = [[Sordariaceae]]
| genus = '''''Sordaria'''''
| species = '''''S. fimicola'''''
| binomial = ''Sordaria fimicola''
| binomial_authority = (Roberge ex [[John Baptiste Henri Joseph Desmazières|Desm.]]) [[Vincenzo de Cesati|Ces.]] & De Not.
}}
'''''Sordaria fimicola''''' is a species of [[microscopic]] [[fungus]]. It is commonly found in the [[feces]] of [[herbivore]]s. ''S. fimicola'' is often used in introductory [[biology]] and [[mycology]] labs because it is easy to grow on nutrient [[agar]] in dish cultures.
The genus Sordaria, closely related to Neurospora
and Podospora, is a member of the numerous class
Pyrenomycetes or flask-fungi. The natural habitat of
the three species of Sordaria that have been the
principal subjects in genetic studies is dung of
herbivorous animals. The species S. fimicola is
common and worldwide in distribution. The species
of Sordaria are similar morphologically, producing
black perithecia containing asci with eight dark
ascospores in a linear arrangement. These species
share a number of characteristics that are advantageous
for genetic studies. They all have a short life
cycle, usually 7-12 days, and are easily grown in
culture. Most species are self-fertile and each strain
is isogenic. All kinds of mutants are easily induced
and readily obtainable with particular ascospore
colour mutants. These visual mutants aid in tetrad
analysis, especially in analysis of intragenic recombination.
The most common form of ''S. fimicola'' is a dark brown. Certain mutants are grey or tan. A common experiment for an introductory lab class is to cross one of the mutant types with a wild type and observe the ratio of coloring in the offspring. This experiment illustrates the concepts of genetic inheritance in a [[haploid]] organism. The eight ascospores are produced inside an ascus. Soradia squashes can give us information about crossing over during meiosis. If no crossing over then there is a 4:4 pattern. 4 black spores, and 4 tan spores all lined up. If crossing over does occur there is a 2:2:2:2 pattern visible, or a 2:4:2 pattern.
Another common lab use is to observe [[meiosis]] and [[mitosis]] in the fruiting bodies, called perithecia. An interesting feature of ''S. fimicola'' is that its fruiting body is [[phototropism|phototrophic]]. Thus, as it grows the stalk will bend toward a light source and when the sac bursts, the [[spore]]s are shot towards the light.
This species is officially used by the college board for AP Lab 3: Mitosis and Meiosis for the Advanced Palacement (AP) class AP Biology for high schools to earn college credit. It is specifically used in Exercise: 3B.2.
[[Category:Sordariomycetes]]
{{Ascomycetes-stub}}