VMC 311: Systematic Veterinary Bacteriology and Mycology (2+1)

CHARACTERS OF MICROCONIDIA AND MACROCONIDIA

• Fungi multiply by asexual spores, which may be small (microconidia) or large (macroconidia) in size. Microconidia, which are unicellular, round or oval bodies measuring about 2 to 3 µ m in diameter, are more or less similar in most of the species.
• They are borne terminally or laterally on the hyphae in grape-like bunches.
• Other structures like nodular bodies and racquet and pectinate hyphae are found in all the three genera.
• The species of these genera are easily distinguished on the basis of shapes and sizes of the macroconidia produced in the culture.
• Macroconidia are elongated structures, which are divided into a number of cells by septae.
• The macroconidia of Trichophyton are large, measuring about 4 to 6 X 10 to 50 µ m, cigar shaped with rounded ends , measuring about 8 to 15 X 40 to 150 µ m in case of Microsporum.
• Epidermophyton produces oval, blunt, multicellular thin-walled macroconidia. Microconidia are not produced by this genus.