John Miller
Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi, which are neither plants nor animals but are genetically more closely related to the latter. They are formed from mycelium, a mass of thread-like hyphae that grows through a substrate and forms a network. Mycelium is vital to the ecosystem as it helps in the decomposition of organic compounds and plant material, and is also an important food source for many soil invertebrates. Mushrooms are formed when spores develop on the tips of thin projections called sterigmata, which extend from club-shaped cells called basidia. Mushrooms themselves are short-lived, but the underlying mycelium can be long-lived and massive, with one colony in the US estimated to be over 2,400 years old.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What are mushrooms? | Mushrooms are the fruits of fungal colonies that grow underground or directly on their food source. |
| Mushroom reproduction | Mushrooms reproduce by releasing spores into the air. |
| Types of mushrooms | There are approximately 14,000 species of mushrooms. Some common types include cap mushrooms, polypores, puffballs, jelly fungi, and cup fungi. |
| Mushroom growth | Mushrooms can grow in a variety of conditions, including on logs, in lawns, leaf mulch, and dead and living trees. |
| Mushroom benefits | Mushrooms are a good source of B vitamins, selenium, copper, phosphorus, zinc, and potassium. They can also be used for dyeing wool and other natural fibers. |
| Mushroom cultivation | Mushrooms can be cultivated using methods such as the All-in-One-Bag method and the Mono-tub/Dub-tub method. Sterilization and contamination prevention are critical factors in mushroom cultivation. |
| Mycelium | Mycelium is a network of thin strands that fuse together to form a solid material. It is an important food source for soil invertebrates and plays a vital role in agriculture and plant health. |
| Fungi classification | Fungi (including mushrooms) were previously classified as part of the plant kingdom, but recent studies indicate that they are neither plants nor animals and have their own kingdom. |
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What You'll Learn
Mushrooms are the fruit of fungal colonies
Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of mycelium, which is a mass of thread-like hyphae that make up the fungus. The mycelium grows in all directions from a spawn grain, and eventually, the mycelium from the different spawn grains fuses together, making a spawned bed of compost. Mushrooms form symbiotic relationships with plants and even other mushrooms, with the fungus and plants swapping essential nutrients. Sometimes, these relationships are parasitic and harmful to the host.
Mushrooms reproduce by releasing spores into the air. Cap and tree mushrooms have underlying gills. When these ripen, the microscopic spores drop directly onto the ground. Puffball types, on the other hand, burst open and spew their spores into the air. Mushrooms are a good source of B vitamins, selenium, copper, phosphorus, zinc, and potassium.
Mycelium is vital to agriculture and is important to almost all species of plants, with many species co-evolving with the fungi. Mycelial networks constitute 20-30% of soil biomass. They are also used in the creation of compost, which is an essential soil amendment and fertilizer for organic farming and gardening.
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Fungi are genetically closer to animals than plants
Mushrooms are a type of fungus, and while they may appear similar to plants, genetic comparisons place fungi closer to animals than to plants. Fungi and animals share a common ancestor, and while they branched away from plants around 1.1 billion years ago, animals and fungi only separated from each other much later. This means that fungi and animals are more closely related to each other than to plants.
Fungi belong to their own kingdom, just like animals, plants, bacteria, and protists (algae). They are eukaryotic organisms, meaning they have a nucleus to store their DNA. By examining the genes of different species of fungi and animals, scientists have observed mutational changes that indicate a shared genealogical relationship stretching back millions of years.
Fungi and animals share several genetic characteristics that plants do not possess. For example, both mushrooms and humans store carbohydrate energy as glycogen, while plants use starch. Fungi and insects use chitin, a type of polysaccharide, to build their cell walls, whereas plants use cellulose. Additionally, mushrooms, like humans, produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.
The first hypotheses about the relationship between fungi and animals emerged in the 1950s, and modern genetic analysis tools have allowed scientists to test and confirm these suspicions. This has led to a better understanding of the relationships between different forms of life, moving beyond physical observations and microscope examinations.
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Mycelium is a network of thin strands that fuse together
Mushroom colonies are not one plant but are composed of mycelium, a network of thin, branching, thread-like strands called hyphae. Mycelium is the root-like structure of a fungus. It may be microscopic or develop into visible structures such as mushrooms, which are the fruiting bodies of the mycelium.
Mycelium has adhesive properties that allow it to bind substances together. During degradation, mycelium forms a dense network of thin strands that fuse together within the organic substrate, creating solid material that can hold multiple substrates together. This self-assembly property of mycelium is quite unique and allows it to grow on a wide range of organic material, including organic waste.
Mycelium is vital in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems for its role in the decomposition of plant material. It contributes to the organic fraction of soil and increases the efficiency of water and nutrient absorption of most plants. Mycelium is also an important food source for many soil invertebrates and is vital to agriculture.
Mycelium can also be used for various applications, such as creating artificial leather and furniture. It can act as a binder, holding disturbed new soil in place and preventing washouts. Mycelium is also essential for converting biomass into compost and plays a crucial role in fungal reproduction. When two compatible monokaryotic mycelia join, they form a dikaryotic mycelium that can reproduce sexually and form new spores.
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Mushrooms form symbiotic relationships with plants and other mushrooms
Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of mycelium, which are fungal colonies. They are found in and on soil and many other substrates. Mushrooms form symbiotic relationships with plants and other organisms.
Mycelia have specialized functions in various climates and develop symbiotic or pathogenic relationships with other organisms. For example, the human pathogen Candida auris has developed a unique ability to evade detection by human neutrophils through adaptive selection, a process of fungal learning and memory. The functions of mycelia can change based on the scale of the mycelia and the nature of the symbiotic relationship.
Commensal and mutual relationships between fungi and plants form through a separate process known as mycorrhizal association, which are called mycorrhiza. In this mutualistic relationship, the fungus grows in or on the plant roots and benefits from easy access to food made by the plant. The plant benefits because the fungus puts out mycelia that help absorb water and nutrients. Mycorrhizae are believed to have played a role in plants' initial colonization of the land.
Mycelia are vital in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems for their role in the decomposition of plant material. They contribute to the organic fraction of soil, and their growth releases carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. Mycelium is an important food source for many soil invertebrates and is vital to agriculture and most plant species. Mycelium is a primary factor in some plants' health, nutrient intake, and growth. Networks of mycelia can transport water and spikes of electrical potential.
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Mushrooms are a rich source of B vitamins
Mushrooms are a type of fungus that grows from mycelium, a network of thin strands that fuse together within organic substrates. This network can span thousands of acres, and mushrooms are just the fruiting bodies of the mycelium.
Some mushrooms are particularly good sources of B vitamins. For example, Lion's Mane mushrooms are unusual-looking gourmet fungi known for their brain-boosting benefits. They contain hericenones and erinacines in addition to B vitamins. Shiitake mushrooms are another variety that has been cultivated for centuries in Asia for their flavour and health properties. They are nutrient-dense and also contain B vitamins.
It is important to note that some cooking methods can cause water-soluble B vitamins to escape into the cooking water. Therefore, it is recommended to use short cooking times and as little liquid as possible to retain the vitamins in mushrooms.
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