Laura Smith
Fungi, which include mushrooms, are a group of eukaryotic microorganisms. Fungi are neither plants nor animals, but a separate kingdom of organisms. They are structurally similar to myxomycetes (slime molds) and oomycetes (water molds). Fungi are the principal decomposers in ecological systems and play a fundamental role in nutrient cycling and exchange in the environment. They have been used as a direct source of human food, such as mushrooms and truffles, and in the fermentation of various food products. Fungi are also used for the production of antibiotics and enzymes used in detergents and industry.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type | Fungi |
| Kingdom | Distinct from plants and animals |
| Cell structure | Eukaryotic |
| Cell nuclei | Membrane-bound |
| DNA | Contains introns and exons |
| Cell wall | Chitinous |
| Plasma membranes | Contain ergosterol |
| RNA | 80S rRNA |
| Microtubules | Composed of tubulin |
| Reproduction | Asexual and/or sexual |
| Life cycle | Haplontic |
| Carbon sources | Sugars, alcohols, proteins, lipids, polysaccharides |
| Nitrogen sources | Nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, organic nitrogen |
| Ecological role | Decomposers, nutrient cycling and exchange |
| Uses | Food, antibiotics, enzymes, biological pesticides |
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What You'll Learn
Fungi are eukaryotes
Fungi, including mushrooms, are eukaryotes. Eukaryotes are a diverse lineage, consisting mainly of microscopic organisms. They are grouped by genomic similarities, and often lack visible shared characteristics. The defining feature of eukaryotes is that their cells have a well-defined, membrane-bound nucleus, which distinguishes them from prokaryotes, which do not have this structure. Eukaryotic cells also have a variety of internal membrane-bound structures, called organelles, and a cytoskeleton that defines the cell's organisation and shape. The nucleus stores the cell's DNA, which is divided into linear bundles called chromosomes.
Fungi were historically classified as plants due to several similarities, including the fact that they often grow in the soil and, in the case of mushrooms, form conspicuous fruit bodies that sometimes resemble plants. However, fungi are now considered a separate kingdom, distinct from both plants and animals. They diverged from other kingdoms around one billion years ago, at the start of the Neoproterozoic Era. Fungi include symbionts of plants, animals, or other fungi, as well as parasites. They play an essential role in the decomposition of organic matter and have fundamental roles in nutrient cycling and exchange in the environment.
The cells of fungi, like those of plants and algae, are surrounded by a cell wall outside the cell membrane. This provides structural support, protection, and a filtering mechanism. The cell wall is composed of carbohydrate polymers interspersed with glycoproteins, with the three major components being β-glucans, chitin, and mannans. The cell wall also connects the fungus with its environment, triggering intracellular signalling pathways and mediating adhesion to other cells and extracellular matrices.
Fungi have been used by humans for various purposes, including food preparation and preservation, the production of antibiotics, and the industrial production of enzymes. They are also used as biological pesticides to control weeds, plant diseases, and insect pests.
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Mushrooms are a type of fungus
Mushrooms develop from a small nodule called a primordium, which enlarges into a round structure called a "button." The button is surrounded by a universal veil, which ruptures as the mushroom expands, sometimes leaving a cup-like structure at the base of the stalk. Mushrooms produce spores, which are almost as fine as smoke, and these spores help the fungus spread across the ground or its occupant surface.
There are about 10,000 kinds of mushrooms in North America, and they have a wide range of shapes, sizes, and colors. Mushrooms are saprophytes, which means they break down dead materials and play a vital role in the decomposition of organic matter. They are also used as a direct source of human food and have been for a long time, in the form of mushrooms and truffles. They are also used in the fermentation of various food products, such as wine, beer, and soy sauce.
The discipline of biology devoted to the study of fungi, including mushrooms, is called mycology, derived from the Greek word "mykes," meaning mushroom. While mycology was once considered a branch of botany, it is now known that fungi, and by extension mushrooms, are genetically more closely related to animals than to plants.
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Fungi are distinct from plants
Fungi, including mushrooms, are distinct from plants in several ways. Fungi are now considered a separate kingdom from both plants and animals, although there is a historical misconception that fungi are plants due to their similarities in appearance and growth in soil. Fungi are also structurally similar to myxomycetes (slime molds) and oomycetes (water molds).
One key difference is their cellular structure. Fungi cells have a unique structure to their cell walls based on chitin instead of cellulose, which is found in plant cells. Additionally, fungi do not contain chloroplasts or chlorophyll, which are present in plant cells and enable plants to generate chemical energy from sunlight. Instead, fungi are heterotrophic, secreting digestive enzymes and absorbing nutrients from their surroundings. This distinction in nutrient acquisition further highlights the ecological difference between fungi and plants.
Fungi also have a distinct mode of reproduction. They may reproduce through monokaryotic fruiting, a process requiring the DMC1 gene, which is not involved in plant reproduction. Fungi can form conspicuous fruit bodies, such as mushrooms, that sometimes resemble plants, contributing to the misconception that they are plants.
Furthermore, fungi are genetically more closely related to animals than to plants. Molecular evidence and evolutionary histories indicate that fungi share a more recent common ancestor with animals than with plants. This genetic distinction further emphasizes the classification of fungi as a separate kingdom from plants.
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Fungi are decomposers
Fungi, including mushrooms, are eukaryotes. They are not plants, despite common misconception, and are now considered a separate kingdom, distinct from both plants and animals.
Fungi are the principal decomposers in ecological systems. They are essential for the decomposition of organic matter and have fundamental roles in nutrient cycling and exchange in the environment. Fungi secrete enzymes that can break down complex organic compounds like carbohydrates and proteins into simpler components with the release of energy. This process is known as digestion before ingestion and allows fungi to degrade many large and insoluble molecules that would otherwise remain trapped in a habitat.
Fungi perform this decomposition by using special enzymes to break down dead materials and absorb a small amount of the nutrients and energy for their own use. The remainder of the energy and materials are then absorbed by the surrounding soil, air, and water, facilitating the recycling of nutrients into the larger community. This process is vital for the ecosystem, as it ensures that essential inorganic nutrients from dead animals and plants are available for use by other organisms. Without decomposers like fungi, dead organic matter would pile up, and life as we know it would not exist.
Fungi include symbionts of plants, animals, or other fungi, as well as parasites. They may become noticeable when fruiting, either as mushrooms or molds. Mushrooms, a type of fungus, can sometimes resemble plants. However, unlike plants, fungi do not contain chlorophyll and cannot make their own food with the energy of sunlight. Instead, they obtain their nutrients from the dead matter they break down.
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Fungi reproduce asexually and sexually
Fungi are a separate kingdom of organisms, distinct from both plants and animals. They are genetically more closely related to animals than to plants. Fungi include symbionts of plants, animals, or other fungi, as well as parasites. Fungi are the principal decomposers in ecological systems and play a fundamental role in nutrient cycling and exchange in the environment.
Fungi can reproduce both asexually and sexually. Asexual reproduction in fungi involves the production of spores. There are many types of asexual spores. Conidiospores are released directly from the tip or side of the hypha. Other asexual spores originate in the fragmentation of a hypha to form single cells that are released as spores. Some of these have a thick wall surrounding the fragment, while others bud off the vegetative parent cell. Sporangiospores are produced in a sporangium.
Sexual reproduction in fungi involves mating between two haploid hyphae. During mating, two haploid parent cells fuse, forming a diploid spore called a zygospore or zygote. The zygospore is genetically different from its parents. After the zygospore germinates, it can undergo meiosis, forming haploid cells that develop into new hyphae. Sexual reproduction in fungi includes three sequential stages: plasmogamy, karyogamy, and meiosis. Plasmogamy involves the fusion of two protoplasts (the contents of the two cells), bringing together two compatible haploid nuclei. Karyogamy results in the fusion of these haploid nuclei and the formation of a diploid nucleus (containing two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent). In most fungi, the zygote is the only cell in the entire life cycle that is diploid.
Some fungi are heterothallic, meaning that gametes produced by one thallus are only compatible with gametes produced by another thallus. However, many fungi are homothallic, meaning that a single thallus can produce self-compatible sex organs, and no second thallus is needed for sexual reproduction. Some complex fungi, such as mushrooms, do not have differentiated sex organs. Instead, their somatic hyphae carry out the sexual function by uniting and bringing together compatible nuclei in preparation for fusion.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, mushrooms are the reproductive structure of fungi, which are eukaryotic microorganisms.
Some common examples of mushrooms include the giant puffball mushroom, the coral fungus, and the giant Armillaria solidipes (honey mushroom).
Fungi are heterotrophic and digest their food externally by releasing hydrolytic enzymes. They have chitinous cell walls, plasma membranes containing ergosterol, and microtubules composed of tubulin. Fungi can reproduce asexually, sexually, or both, and they produce spores that are dispersed by wind or animals.
Fungi have various uses, including as a direct source of human food (e.g., mushrooms and truffles), in the fermentation of food products (e.g., wine and beer), and in the production of antibiotics and enzymes for industrial use.
