Why do fungi have chitin as their cell wall material?

Question

why do fungi have chitin as their call wall material, as opposed to having cellulose, lignin, etc exhibited plants.

Answer 1

Chitin is a polysaccharide constructed from units of N-acetylglucosamine (more completely, N-acetyl-D-glucos-2-amine) linked together in β-1,4 fashion, similar to the glucose units in cellulose. Chitin may be described as cellulose with one hydroxyl group on each sugar residue replaced by an acetylamine group [Molecular formula: (C8H13NO5)n] . This increases hydrogen bonding between polymers, giving the structure much increased strength.

Chitin breakdown is catalyzed by enzymes called chitinases that are secreted by microorganisms such as bacteria. Plants and animals that may be a host for a disease-causing fungus generally do not produce chitinases, thus chitin provides an effective barrier protecting the fungal cells from host attack.

The effectiveness of chitin as a shield was shown from the time of its first discovery in 1821, when Henri Braconnot noticed that there was a material in mushrooms that did not dissolve in sulfuric acid.

Chitin synthesis is a process that has distinct differences across the fungal kingdom, such that the chitin in different fungi has distinct properties that distinguishes it from related fungi. Chitin synthesis is based on the regulation of specific chitin synthase isoenzymes whose number ranges from one in some yeasts to up to seven in some filamentous fungi. This high diversity makes it difficult to find a unique model for the regulation of its production and the complexity of its assembly. However, recent results suggest common themes in the process.

Answer 2

Chitin Fungi

Answer 3

Chitin Cell Wall

Answer 4

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Why do fungi have chitin as their cell wall material?
why do fungi have chitin as their call wall material, as opposed to having cellulose, lignin, etc exhibited plants.

Answer 5

Not all species of fungi have cell walls but in those that do, the cell walls are composed of glucosamine and chitin, the same carbohydrate that gives strength to the exoskeletons of insects. They serve a similar purpose to those of plant cells, giving fungal cells rigidity and strength to hold their shape and preventing osmotic lysis. They also limit the entry of molecules that may be toxic to the fungus, such as plant-produced and synthetic fungicides. The composition, properties, and form of the fungal cell wall change during the cell cycle and depend on growth conditions.

Answer 6

Another part of the answer to this is that fungi are actually more closely related to animals than plants. We humans have only thought of them as plants because the mushroom/toadstool kinds of fungal reproductive structures seem to grow like plants.