pt. 1. The Unique Features of Fungi -- The Hyphal Mode of Life -- The Multinuclear Condition -- Spores : Their Dormancy, Germination, and Uses -- pt. 2. Fungi in Biosphere and Human Health -- Fungi as Scavengers -- Fungi as Symbiotic Partners -- Fungi as Plant Pathogens -- Fungi as Chemical Factories -- pt. 3. Gene Silencing -- Transformation and Discovery of Gene-Silencing Phenomena -- pt. 4. Model Organisms -- Yeast : A Unicellular Paradigm for Complex Biological Processes -- Neurospora : A Gateway to Biology -- Aspergillus nidulans : A Model for Study of Form and Asexual Reproduction -- Ustilago maydis and Other Fungi as Models of Sexual Reproduction -- pt. 5. Adaptations -- Photoresponses and Circadian Rhythm -- Thermophilic Fungi : Eukaryotic Life at High Temperature -- pt. 6. Populations -- Species : Their Diversity and Populations -- Senescence -- A Glossary of Mycological and Interdisciplinary Terms -- Appendix: Naming, Defining, and Broadly Classifying Fungi.