Ascomycota

Ascomycota  of the kingdom  that, together with the, form the subkingdom. Its members are commonly known as the sac fungi or ascomycetes. It is the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000. The defining feature of this fungal group is the "" (from : ἀσκός (askos), meaning "sac" or "wineskin"), a microscopic in which nonmotile s, called s, are formed. However, some species of the Ascomycota are, meaning that they do not have a sexual cycle and thus do not form asci or ascospores. Familiar examples of sac fungi include s, s, and, , and. The fungal s in the majority of s (loosely termed "ascolichens") such as  belong to the Ascomycota. Ascomycota is a group (it contains all descendants of one common ancestor). Previously placed in the along with asexual species from other fungal taxa, asexual (or ic) ascomycetes are now identified and classified based on  or  similarities to ascus-bearing, and by  analyses of  sequences. The ascomycetes are of particular use to humans as sources of medicinally important compounds, such as, for bread, alcoholic beverages and cheese.  species on cheeses and those producing antibiotics for treating bacterial s are examples of ascomycetes. Many ascomycetes are s, both of animals, including humans, and of plants. Examples of ascomycetes that can cause infections in humans include ', ' and several tens of species that cause. The many ascomycetes include, , the , , and the s. Several species of ascomycetes are biological s in laboratory research. Most famously, ', several species of s, and ' species are used in many and  studies.