Emily Johnson
Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. They have been historically grouped with plants, but modern molecular evidence demonstrates that fungi are more closely related to animals than plants. Fungi have their own kingdom, but they have been a botanist's domain for much of scientific history, with the father of modern taxonomy, Carl Linnaeus, famously grouping plants and fungi together as organisms that grow and live. Today, we know that mushrooms are not plants, but the botanical history of fungi provides an interesting perspective on our scientific biases and how we classify organisms.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Structure | Mushrooms are not plants, they lack true roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds |
| Kingdom | Mushrooms belong to the kingdom Fungi |
| Cell Structure | Unlike plants, mushrooms have chitin in their cell walls |
| Nutrition | Mushrooms obtain nutrients by absorbing them from their environment, they are saprotrophic, feeding on decaying organic matter |
| Reproduction | Mushrooms reproduce through spores, similar to pollen in plants, but these spores are asexual and do not require a partner |
| Ecology | They play a vital role in ecosystems by breaking down organic material and recycling nutrients |
| Habitat | Mushrooms can be found in a variety of habitats, including forests, grasslands, and even urban areas |
| Types | There are thousands of mushroom species, some are edible, while others are poisonous |
| Uses | Mushrooms are used in cooking, medicine, and also have cultural significance in some societies |
| Research | Current research focuses on the potential medicinal benefits of mushrooms, including their anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties |
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What You'll Learn
Mushrooms are a type of fungus
Mushrooms have been historically grouped with plants, and this classification has had an impact that is still felt today. For example, the Mycological Society of America was established while fungi were still considered plants, and the society's journal, Mycologia, originated from the New York Botanical Garden. However, modern molecular evidence demonstrates that fungi are more closely related to animals than plants. These computational and molecular approaches provide robust evolutionary histories that indicate the relationships between organisms and when they diverged from common ancestors.
The identification of mushrooms has traditionally been based on macroscopic characteristics such as the presence of juices upon breaking, bruising reactions, odors, tastes, shades of color, habitat, and season. However, modern identification is quickly becoming molecular, although standard methods are still used by most. Molecular identification involves examining the microscopic structure of the mushroom, including the presence of basidiospores, which are produced on the gills and fall in a fine rain of powder from under the caps.
Mushrooms play an important role in gardens and yards by indicating healthy soils for trees and other plants to grow in. They also have a symbiotic relationship with particular species of plants, serving as a secondary root system and helping to extract water and minerals from the soil. In return, the plant supplies sugars to the fungi. This relationship is called mycorrhizae, and it is so important that usually, neither the mushroom nor the plant will grow without its partner.
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Fungi are not plants
Fungi, including mushrooms, are not plants. While fungi have historically been grouped with plants, they are distinct in several ways. Firstly, fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants. Molecular and computational approaches have provided robust evolutionary histories, indicating that fungi share a common ancestor with animals, but not with plants. This understanding has led to the recognition of three major domains of life: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya, with fungi belonging to their own kingdom within these domains.
Secondly, the classification of organisms into categories such as plants or animals is not static but evolves over time as our scientific knowledge advances. For much of history, fungi were considered a part of the plant kingdom, largely due to the influence of Carl Linnaeus, known as the "father of modern taxonomy." Linnaeus' axiom, "plants grow and live; animals grow, live and feel," guided the classification of fungi as plants for centuries. However, this classification has been updated as we now know that mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of specific fungi, primarily from the order Agaricales of the phylum Basidiomycota.
Thirdly, the pairing of fungi with plants in historical classifications has led to some confusion and misclassification. For example, the Mycological Society of America was established when fungi were still considered plants, and its journal, Mycologia, originated from a botanical garden. While the distinction between edible and poisonous fungi is not always clear-cut, proper classification is essential as it affects how we understand, support, and engage with these organisms.
Finally, fungi, including mushrooms, play a unique role in ecosystems, particularly in their relationships with plants. Many mushroom species have a symbiotic relationship with plants, serving as a secondary root system. They spread into the soil to extract water and minerals for the host plant, which, in turn, supplies sugars to the fungi. This symbiotic relationship is essential for the growth of both the mushroom and the plant, and it also benefits the surrounding soil by improving its structure, permeability, and nutrient content. However, it's important to note that mushrooms themselves are not plants but rather a unique form of life that warrants further taxonomic attention and appreciation.
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Fungi are closely related to animals
Mushrooms are a type of fungus, and while fungi have historically been classified as plants, they are not plants. Fungi are more closely related to animals than they are to plants.
Fungi and animals form a clade called opisthokonta, which is named after a single, posterior flagellum present in their last common ancestor. This posterior flagellum propels primitive fungal spores and animal sperm. Computational phylogenetics comparing eukaryotes revealed that fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants. Phylogenetic relationships among plants, animals, and fungi were examined using sequences from 25 proteins. Four insertions/deletions were found that are shared by two of the three taxonomic groups in question, and all four are uniquely shared by animals and fungi relative to plants, protists, and bacteria. These include a 12-amino acid insertion in translation elongation factor 1 alpha and three small gaps in enolase. Maximum-parsimony trees were constructed from published data for four of the most broadly sequenced of the 25 proteins: actin, alpha-tubulin, beta-tubulin, and elongation factor 1 alpha. All four proteins place animals and fungi together as a monophyletic group to the exclusion of plants and a broad diversity of protists.
In all cases, bootstrap analyses show no support for either an animal-plant or fungal-plant clade. This congruence among multiple lines of evidence strongly suggests that animals and fungi are sister groups, while plants constitute an independent evolutionary lineage. In other words, animals and fungi are each other's closest relatives.
The last common ancestor of plants, fungi, and animals was earlier than the last common ancestor of fungi and animals. This means that fungi and animals are equally related to plants. In 1998, scientists discovered that fungi split from animals about 1.538 billion years ago, whereas plants split from animals about 1.547 billion years ago. This means that fungi split from animals 9 million years after plants did, so fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants.
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Historical classification of fungi
The classification of fungi has changed dramatically since the 1990s due to improved understanding and advances in molecular genetics. Fungi are now considered a separate kingdom, distinct from plants and animals, but they were historically classified as members of the plant kingdom due to similarities in lifestyle, morphology, and growth habitat.
The pioneering 18th and 19th-century taxonomists Carl Linnaeus, Christiaan Hendrik Persoon, and Elias Magnus Fries classified fungi according to their morphology (e.g. spore colour or microscopic features) or physiology. The word "fungus" is derived from the Latin "fungus" (mushroom) and the Greek "sphongos" ("sponge"), referring to the macroscopic structures and morphology of mushrooms and molds.
Over time, the classification of fungi has become more nuanced. The five true phyla of fungi are Chytridiomycota (chytrids), Zygomycota (conjugated fungi), Ascomycota (sac fungi), Basidiomycota (club fungi), and the recently described Glomeromycota. Fungi that do not reproduce sexually were previously classified as Deuteromycota, but this classification is no longer used as these fungi have been found to belong to Ascomycota or Basidiomycota.
Phylogenetic studies have further reshaped the classification within the fungi kingdom, which is now divided into one subkingdom, seven phyla, 10 subphyla, 35 classes, 12 subclasses, and 129 orders. However, the global biodiversity of the fungus kingdom is not yet fully understood, with estimates ranging from 2.2 to 3.8 million species.
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Modern identification of mushrooms
While the standard methods for mushroom identification are still used by most, modern identification is quickly becoming molecular. The standard methods have developed into a fine art, harking back to medieval times and the Victorian era, combined with microscopic examination.
Molecular identification methods are being used to investigate species diversity and function, such as in the case of research on soil ecology and forest pathology. This involves studying the relations that living organisms have with each other and their biophysical environment.
The most important microscopic feature for identification is the spores. Their colour, shape, size, attachment, ornamentation, and reaction to chemical tests are often crucial to identification. The colour of the powdery print, called a spore print, is also useful in classifying and identifying mushrooms. Spore print colours include white (most common), brown, black, purple-brown, pink, yellow, and creamy, but almost never blue, green, or red.
Other microscopic features used to identify mushrooms include the presence, shape, and size of cystidia. Many types of cystidia exist, and assessing these characteristics is often used to verify the identification of a mushroom.
Additionally, the substrate, or the material that the fungus is growing from, can help with identification. Some fungi only grow in soil, some on living trees, and some on rotting wood. Knowing the substrate can help to understand the ecology of the fungus.
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Frequently asked questions
No, mushrooms are fungi.
Fungi are a separate form of life, distinct from plants and animals. They are more closely related to animals than plants.
Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source.
No, not all fungi are mushrooms. Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of specific fungi that are part of the order Agaricales of phylum Basidiomycota.
Mushrooms can be beneficial to gardens as they indicate healthy soils for trees and other plants to grow in. They can also form symbiotic relationships with plants, acting as a secondary root system.
