Question

Neurospora, which is popularly known as Drosophila of the plant kingdom, belongs to
(a)Phycomycetes
(b)Ascomycetes
(c)Basidiomycetes
(d)Deuteromycetes

Answer 1

Hint: Neurospora species are molds that produce broadly spreading colonies that belong to spore shooting fungi. They produce microscopic spores inside special, elongated sacs. Although they reproduce mostly by asexual reproduction, they form these sexual spores.

Complete Answer:
Neurospora meaning ‘nerve spore’ refers to the characteristic striations seen on the spores produced by these organisms that resemble axons of a nerve. It is a genus belonging to the Ascomycetes fungi.
The best-known species of this genus is Neurospora crassa, which is used commonly as a model organism in biological experiments. Since in the animal kingdom, Drosophila is an organism that is widely used as an experiment subject, Neurospora is known as Drosophila of the plant kingdom.
Neurospora species are molds with broadly spreading colonies and an abundance of ascomata.
The ascospores produced by them are usually 8 in number, broadly fusiform or spherical, unicellular, and hyaline to yellowish-brown in color.

Additional Information:
-In fungi, there can be 3 types of sexual spore formation: Oospores, Ascospores, and Basidiospores.
-In Ascomycetes, though there is a development of sexual spore-bearing ascomata containing ascospores that are formed by meiosis, the dominant form of propagation is through asexual reproduction.
-Ascomycetes are the fungal components in 98 percent of the lichens.

So, the correct answer is, “Ascomycetes”

Note:
-Both Neurospora and Drosophila are used as model organisms, due to certain reasons.
-They are quick in reproducing with a small duplication period, they have a small lifecycle and hence the effects in the next generation can be obtained quickly with comparative studies.
-Neurospora can survive on minimal media which thus makes it easy to culture them.