Thermally dimorphic fungi (yeast at 37°C, molds below 37°C)
Histoplasmosis
Great Lakes region and Ohio River Valley
Very small cells
Blastomycosis
Especially prevalent in Ontario
Coccidiomycosis
South-western US (Arizona and Nevada)
Larger cells
Pneumocystis
Unusual fungi or fungal-like organisms
Identification of Molds
Macroscopic
Colony appearance
Growth rate
Microscopic
Hyphae
Sexual reproduction (rarely)
Asexual reproduction
Blastic conidia: conidia created by budding
Blastoconidia: created by budding from the apex or side of a conidiophore. May be solitary, in chains, sympodial (like alternating leaves), or multiseptate.
Annelloconidia: with rings on an annellide.
Phialoconidia: with a collarette on a bottle-shaped phialide, conidia releated from collaratte.
Thallic conidia: conidia created from existing hyphal segments
Arthroconidia: may be simple or alternate (with disjunctor cells).
Aleurioconidia: may have macroconidia or microconidia.
Chlamydospores
Identification of Yeasts
Macroscopic
Colony appearance
Microscopic
Budding cells: may be unipolar or (rarely) bipolar, or (rarely) division by fission
Filamentation, including pseudohyphae and true hyphae (which includes germination tubes)
Conidium or chlamydospore production
Physiological tests, including chromagar Candida medium
