What is the Difference Between Hyphae and Pseudohyphae?

Hyphae and pseudohyphae are two types of filaments that compose the vegetative structures found in fungi. The key difference between hyphae and pseudohyphae lies in their septation and cell width:

• Hyphae: These are elongated, thread-like filaments that may or may not contain septa. Hyphae are always stationary and do not show budding. The width of hyphal cells is about ~2.0 µm on most media.
• Pseudohyphae: These filaments are similar to hyphae but have a minimum width of 2.8 µm. Pseudohyphae always contain septa, and there is a constriction at the neck of the bud and mother cell, even at every subsequent septal junction. Pseudohyphae cells can vary widely in width and length, resembling hyphae at one extreme and elongated buds of yeast cells at the other. Pseudohyphae show budding through which they grow continuously, and they can invade cells by growing faster.

Both hyphae and pseudohyphae support spores for reproduction and dissemination, and they are characteristic features of polymorphic fungi.

Comparative Table: Hyphae vs Pseudohyphae

Hyphae and pseudohyphae are both growth forms of fungi, but they have distinct differences in their structure and characteristics. Here is a table comparing the two:

In summary, hyphae are elongated, thread-like filaments with parallel walls and regular septation, while pseudohyphae are elongated ellipsoid cells with constrictions at the septae. Pseudohyphae have near synchronous cell divisions and their budding patterns can be both unipolar and bipolar, as opposed to the sub-synchronous cell divisions and primarily bipolar budding patterns of hyphae.