15 Core Difference between Algae and Fungi with Comparison Table

calendarApr 5, 2022 · 3 min read  ·
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What is the difference between algae and fungi?

Fungi and algae are either prokaryotic or eukaryotic organisms. Algae belong to Protista kingdom and fungi belong to kingdom fungi. These organisms tend to have some close similarities and this normally confuses many people.

The core difference between algae and fungi is that algae are a unicellular organism that is autotrophs while fungi are organisms that are heterotrophs.

Difference between Algae and Fungi

What Is an Algae?

Algae is a unicellular organism known for making their own food. They are diverse and grow everywhere on earth. They belong to the Protista kingdom.

What You Need to Know about Algae

  • They belong to kingdom Protista
  • Found in both fresh and marine water
  • Have chlorophyll for photosynthesis
  • They are termed as autotrophs
  • Have cellulose cell wall
  • Store food in the form of starch

    • What is a Fungi?

    Fungi are heterotrophs and they belong to the fungi kingdom. All these organisms are eukaryotes. They can survive in dark areas since they depend on another organism for food.

    What You Need to Know about Fungi

  • They belong to the fungi kingdom
  • Organisms are eukaryotes
  • They are found on dead matters
  • They are termed as heterotrophs
  • Have chitin cell wall
  • Store food in the form of oil granules and glycogen

    • Comparison Chart: Algae Vs Fungi

    Basic TermsAlgaeFungi
    KingdomProtistaFungi
    HabitatMostly aquaticMostly terrestrial
    Prokaryotic/EukaryoticSome are eukaryotes and others prokaryotesEukaryotes
    Photosynthetic PigmentsChlorophyll presentChlorophyll absent
    Nutrition ModeAutotrophsHeterotrophs
    DarknessCannot survive in the darknessCan survive in the darkness
    Cell WallContain celluloseContain chitin
    Food StorageStarchGlycogen and oil granules
    BodyHas filamentous or parenchyatousHas filamentous or pasedo-parenchymatous
    Uni/Multinucleateduninucleated cellsmultinucleated cells
    ReproductionAsexual and complexSexual, asexual and spore dispersal
    NatureNon-parasiticParasitic and saprophytes
    ApplicationFood, Firewood, Enricher, dyes, bioremediation, pollution control of air and plastics, energy source.Food, drug, medicine, pest control, industrial chemicals, and enzymes.
    ExamplesSeaweed and freshwater mossMushrooms, yeast, and truffles

    Core Differences between Fungi and Algae

  • Algae are mostly aquatic while fungi are terrestrial
  • Algae have chlorophyll while fungi do not have chlorophyll
  • Algae are autotrophs while fungi are heterotrophs
  • Algae can survive in light while fungi can survive in darkness
  • Algae are prokaryotes while fungi are eukaryotes
  • Fungi have a cell wall made of chitin while that of algae consist of cellulose
  • Fungi are multinucleated while algae are uninucleated
  • Fungi store food in the form of glycogen and oil granules while algae store food in the form of starch
  • Fungi are parasitic in nature while algae are non-parasitic in nature
  • Fungi body is filamentous or pasedo-parenchymatous while algae body is filamentous or parenchyatous.
  • Algae belong to Protista kingdom while fungi belong to the fungi kingdom
  • Examples of algae are seaweed and freshwater moss while fungi are mushrooms, yeast, and truffles.

    • Similarities between Algae and Fungi

  • Both are thallophytes
  • Both lack Vascular tissue
  • Both are eukaryotes
  • Both belong to the same division of thallophyta of cryptogams.
  • Both reproduced by fragmentation
  • Both can reproduce asexually

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    Comparison Video

    Summary

    The core difference between fungi and algae in point form is that fungi belong to kingdom fungi while algae belong to the Protista kingdom. However, both belong to the same division and they reproduce asexually.

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