Which of the following statements regarding fungi is FALSE?
Most fungi are pathogenic for humans.
Fungi tolerate low moisture conditions.
Most fungi grow well in acidic culture condition.
Fungi reproduce by forming asexual or sexual spores.
Fungi are eukaryotic heterotrophs.
Seventeen patients in ten hospitals had cutaneous infections caused by Rhizopus. In all seventeen
patients, Elastoplast bandages were placed over sterile gauze pads to cover wounds. Fourteen of
the patients had surgical wounds, two had venous line insertion sites, and one had a bite wound.
Lesions present when the bandages were removed ranged from vesiculopustular eruptions to
ulcerations and skin necrosis requiring debridement. Fungi are more likely than bacteria to
contaminate bandages because they
can tolerate low–moisture conditions.
have a fermentative metabolism.
cannot tolerate high osmotic pressure.
prefer a neutral environment (pH 7).
In mid–December, a woman with insulin–dependent diabetes who had been on prednisone fell and
received an abrasion on the dorsal side of her right hand. She was placed on penicillin. By the end
of January, the ulcer had not healed, and she was referred to a plastic surgeon. On January 30, a
swab of the wound was cultured at 35°C on blood agar. On the same day, a smear was made for
Gram staining. The Gram stain showed large (10 µm) cells. Brownish, waxy colonies grew on the
blood agar. Slide cultures set up on February 1 and incubated at 25°C showed septate hyphae and
single conidia. The most likely cause of the infection is a