Difference Between Perfect and Imperfect Fungi

The key difference between perfect and imperfect fungi is that perfect fungi are the fungi that show both sexual and asexual stages in the life cycle and reproduce by both methods while imperfect fungi are the fungi that show only asexual stage in the life cycle and reproduce via only asexual methods.

Fungi are eukaryotic heterotrophic organisms such as yeasts, moulds, mushrooms, smuts and rusts. Yeasts are unicellular fungi while moulds are multicellular filamentous fungi having hyphae. Collection of the hyphae makes the mycelium of the fungus. These organisms reproduce via sexual and asexual methods. However, asexual reproduction is common, and it takes place via asexual spores. But, some fungi reproduce only by asexual reproduction while some fungi reproduce by both sexual and asexual modes.

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Perfect Fungi
3. What are Imperfect Fungi
4. Similarities Between Perfect and Imperfect Fungi
5. Side by Side Comparison – Perfect vs Imperfect Fungi in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What are Perfect Fungi?

Perfect fungi belong to a group of fungi that reproduce via both sexual and asexual reproduction methods. Hence, these fungi show both sexual stages and asexual stage in their life cycles.

Difference Between Perfect and Imperfect Fungi

Figure 01: Perfect Fungus – Fruiting Body

Since they carry out sexual reproduction, their life cycles include plasmogamy and karyogamy. Moreover, meiosis takes place when producing sexual spores. Fungi belonging to ascomycetes, basidiomycetes and zygomycetes are perfect fungi.

What are Imperfect Fungi?

Imperfect fungi are the fungi that reproduce only by asexual methods. Therefore, sexual stages are absent in their life cycles. Furthermore, their life cycles do not consist of processes like meiosis, plasmogamy and karyogamy.

Key Difference - Perfect vs Imperfect Fungi

Figure 02: Imperfect Fungi

Moreover, imperfect fungi do not have sexually produced spores. Deuteromycetes fungi are imperfect fungi. They do not reproduce sexually.

What are the Similarities Between Perfect and Imperfect Fungi?

Perfect and imperfect fungi are two types of fungi.
Both show asexual stages in their life cycle.

What is the Difference Between Perfect and Imperfect Fungi?

Perfect fungi show both sexual and asexual stages in their life cycles while imperfect fungi show only the asexual stages in their life cycles. So, this is the key difference between perfect and imperfect fungi. Furthermore, perfect fungi show meiosis, plasmogamy and karyogamy. But, these events are not seen in imperfect fungi. Therefore, we can consider this too as a difference between perfect and imperfect fungi.

Below infographic provides a more detailed comparison regrading the difference between perfect and imperfect fungi.

Summary – Perfect vs Imperfect Fungi

Perfect fungi and imperfect fungi are two categories of fungi. Perfect fungi have both sexual and asexual stages in their life cycles. In contrast, imperfect fungi have only the asexual stages in their life cycle. So, this is the key difference between perfect and imperfect fungi.