any of a wide variety of common fungi constituting the phylum Zygomycota of the kingdom Fungi (or the class Zygomycetes of the kingdom Plantae), in which sexual reproduction is by the formation of zygospores.
Historical Examples

Blakeslee has lately made some very important observations of the zygomycetes.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3 Various

any filamentous fungus of the phylum Zygomycota (or Zygomycetes), which reproduces sexually by means of zygospores, including the bread mould

Zygomycetes Zy·go·my·ce·tes (zī’gō-mī-sē’tēz)
A subclass of fungi characterized by sexual reproduction resulting in the formation of a large multinucleate spore formed by union of similar gametes.
(zī’gə-mī’sēt’, zĭg’ə-)
Any of various fungi belonging to the phylum Zygomycota, characterized by the absence of cross walls (called septa) in all of their hyphae except reproductive hyphae. The absence of septa allows cytoplasm to stream along the hyphae, and most species produce abundant, fast-growing hyphae. Many species of zygomycetes live on decaying plant and animal matter in soil, though some are parasites on plants, insects, and certain soil animals, and a few cause disease in domestic animals and humans. Zygomycetes reproduce both by producing asexual haploid spores in conidia at the end of their hyphae and by producing sexual haploid spores by meiosis after hyphae of different mating types conjugate and their nuclei fuse.


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  • Zygomycosis

    zygomycosis zygomycosis zy·go·my·co·sis (zī’gō-mī-kō’sĭs) n. A fungus infection caused by various genera of the class Zygomycetes. Also called mucormycosis, phycomycosis.

  • Zygomycota

    the considered as belonging to the phylum Zygomycota of the kingdom Fungi.

  • Zygon

    zygon zygon zy·gon (zī’gŏn’) n. The short crossbar connecting the branches of a zygal fissure. Historical Examples Zygal, zī′gal, n. pertaining to a zygon, formed like a letter . Chambers’s Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) Various zygon, zī′gon, n. a connecting bar: an -shaped fissure of the brain. Chambers’s Twentieth […]

  • Zygophore

    (in certain fungi) any of several specialized branches of hyphae, bearing the isogametes that unite to produce a zygospore.
