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Cell Wall!
Characteristics of Fungi (pay attention to the cell wall part!)
The cell wall of a fungus provides structure and protection to the fungus, just like it does to a plant. But instead of being made of cellulose like in plants, it is made of chitin. Chitin is a protective, tough substance, primarily a polysaccharide - several carbohydrates that can't be broken into simple sugars. It is also made of sugars, proteins, enzymes that all intertwine to help protect the insides of the cells.
http://www.answers.com/topic/chitin http://www.answers.com/monosaccharide http://mic.sgmjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/150/7/2029 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16927300
The chitin gives the plant flexibility, yet stability. Hydrolytic enzymes help to, for lack of a better word, lubricate the cell wall and assist the chitin in doing its job. The enzymes also travel with the wall during reproduction and branching and help out.
Hey! Click each picture and hold to enlarge the picture! Try it!
