Plants with them tend to grow better than those without them. During reproduction, microscopic structures called soredia, composed of both algae and fungi, are released and dispersed from the lichen . Otherwise, they tend to be tolerant of harsh environments. Commercial uses of fungi are numerous. Some fungi are also used for bioremediation, the clean-up of environmental pollutants.
Fungi are significant pathogens.
Some are so toxic or pathogenic that they cause death among humans, other animals and plants. Fungi are particularly lethal in individuals who are immunocompromised. A popular scheme of classification divides the Kingdom Plantae into two divisions, Bryophyta and Tracheophyta. Please note that your author has included material on algae within the material on plants. In this courseware, discussion of the algae has been included within the material on viruses and unicellular organisms .