Michael Davis
Mushrooms are a member of the fungi group, which also includes yeasts, molds, smuts, and rusts. They are neither plants nor animals but constitute their own kingdom. Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. They have a stem (stipe), a cap (pileus), and gills (lamellae) on the underside of the cap, where spores are formed. The gills produce microscopic spores that help the fungus spread across the ground or its occupant surface. Mushrooms are also a source of food and medicine for humans, with many species being used for industrial production of antibiotics, vitamins, and anti-cancer and cholesterol-lowering drugs.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi. |
| Kingdom | Fungi |
| Fungi Types | Yeasts, moulds, smuts, and rusts |
| Mushroom Types | Common fairy-ring, shiitake, enoki, oyster, fly agarics, magic, paddy straw, shaggy manes, lobster, hedgehog, bolete, truffles, puffballs, stinkhorns, cup fungi, etc. |
| Nutrition | 92% water, 4% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and less than 1% fat. Rich in B vitamins, selenium, copper, phosphorus, zinc, and potassium. |
| Uses | Food, medicine, antibiotics, vitamins, anti-cancer and cholesterol-lowering drugs, textiles, etc. |
| Identification | Mushrooms have a cap (pileus) and gills (lamellae) on the underside. |
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What You'll Learn
Mushrooms are fungi with a stem and a cap
Mushrooms are fungi, but not all fungi are mushrooms. Mushrooms are a part of the kingdom Fungi, which also includes yeasts, moulds, smuts, and rusts. Fungi are neither plants nor animals. They are a unique branch on the tree of life, more closely related to animals than plants.
Mushrooms are characterised by their stem (stipe) and cap (pileus). They are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. The gills under the cap produce microscopic spores, which help the fungus spread across the ground or its occupant surface. These spores are almost as fine as smoke and can travel through the air or water.
The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus. However, the term "mushroom" is also used to describe a variety of other gilled fungi, with or without stems. Forms that deviate from the standard morphology often have more specific names, such as "bolete", "truffle", "puffball", "stinkhorn", and "morel".
Identifying mushrooms requires a basic understanding of their macroscopic structure. The underside of the cap is often where the spores are formed, and different mushrooms have distinct gill structures. Creating a spore print can be done by laying the cap of a fresh mushroom on a sheet of paper and waiting a couple of hours.
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Mushrooms are neither plants nor animals
Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi, typically produced above ground on soil or other food sources. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, which has a stem (stipe), a cap (pileus), and gills (lamellae) on the underside of the cap. However, the term "mushroom" is also used more broadly to describe a variety of other gilled fungi, with or without stems. These include common fungi like the fairy-ring mushroom, shiitake, enoki, oyster mushrooms, fly agarics, and other Amanitas.
Some mushrooms are edible and nutritious, while others are poisonous or unpalatable. The distinction between edible and poisonous fungi is not always clear-cut, and proper identification is crucial before consuming any mushroom. The gills or pores on the underside of the cap are where spores are formed, and these spores help the fungus spread across the ground or its occupant surface.
Fungi play a crucial role in various industries, including food, medicine, and textiles. They are used in the production of antibiotics, vitamins, and anti-cancer and cholesterol-lowering drugs. Additionally, they are responsible for food spoilage and have been used for centuries in the production of bread, wine, and beer.
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Mushrooms produce spores, not seeds
Mushrooms are a part of the fungi kingdom, which also includes yeasts, moulds, smuts, and rusts. Mushrooms do not produce seeds; instead, they produce spores, which are almost as fine as smoke. These spores are produced on the gills of the mushroom and are released in a fine rain of powder from under the caps. The gills produce microscopic spores, which help the fungus spread across the ground or its occupant surface.
Spores are small, usually microscopic, single-celled structures whose only purpose is to spread the organism's genetic material to new locations. They are not always released from gills. For example, a puffball releases spores when jostled or squeezed. The spores of a water mould are just specks of protoplasm.
A common field mushroom can produce one billion offspring in a single day due to its tremendous reproductive output. If you place a mushroom cap gills-down on a piece of white paper and look beneath it several hours later, you will find a print made from tens of thousands of microscopic spores. These spores are so small that it takes 25,000 of them to cover a pinhead.
When spores land in a suitable place, they germinate, developing the fine filaments that eventually become a new mycelium. Mycelium is a matlike or netlike network of filaments infusing a patch of soil or wood. Over time, growers have improved physical traits such as growth rate, fruit body size, yield, and adaptability to different growing conditions.
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Some mushrooms are edible, others are poisonous
Mushrooms are part of the kingdom Fungi, which also includes yeasts, moulds, smuts, and rusts. They are characterised by their fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies, which typically grow above ground on soil or another food source. The standard variety of mushroom is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, which has a stem (stipe), a cap (pileus), and gills (lamellae) on the underside of the cap.
While some mushrooms are edible and even nutritious, others are poisonous and can cause severe gastrointestinal distress, abnormal heart rhythms, confusion or hallucinations, seizures, flushing and sweating, and even liver failure. It can be challenging to distinguish between edible and poisonous mushrooms, even for experts, as they often share similar physical characteristics. For example, the Jack O'Lantern mushroom closely resembles the edible Chanterelle but causes severe gastrointestinal issues. Similarly, the Destroying Angel and Death Cap mushrooms, both from the Amanita genus, are deadly but are often mistaken for the edible Shaggy Mane.
To avoid accidentally consuming poisonous mushrooms, it is crucial to have a basic understanding of their macroscopic structure and to be able to identify key distinguishing features. For instance, Chanterelles have folds under their caps, resembling wrinkles, rather than the true gills found on other mushrooms. Additionally, it is recommended to start with a small amount of any new mushroom variety, as some individuals may experience allergies or sensitivities unique to certain species.
If you suspect that you or someone else has ingested a poisonous mushroom, it is imperative to seek immediate medical attention, even if there are no apparent symptoms.
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Fungi are used to make drugs and food products
Mushrooms are a type of fungus, and fungi have a wide range of uses in food production and medicine.
Fungi in food products
Fungi have been used as a direct source of human food for thousands of years, in the form of edible mushrooms and truffles. They are also used as a leavening agent for bread and in the fermentation of various food products, such as wine, beer, soy sauce, and cheese. Filamentous fungi, a class of fungi, are used in the creation of well-known culinary items such as soy sauce, miso, and tempeh. Some species of filamentous fungi have a higher protein content than most mushrooms, making them a good alternative protein source. Yeast, another type of fungus, is commonly used in the food industry to produce protein-rich, nutritious food for both humans and animals. Baker's yeast or Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a unicellular fungus, is used to make bread and other wheat-based products, such as pizza dough and dumplings. Yeast species of the genus Saccharomyces are also used to produce alcoholic beverages through fermentation.
Fungi are also used in food biotechnology as a source of mushrooms, fermentative yeasts, and filamentous fungi. They are known for their rich nutritional profile, including vitamins and minerals. For example, raw mushrooms are a good source of B vitamins, selenium, and copper.
Fungi in medicine
Fungi have been used in medicine for thousands of years, with ancient peoples using them for various purposes, including as tinder and for medicinal purposes. Fungi are used to produce antibiotics, vitamins, and anti-cancer and cholesterol-lowering drugs. Transgenic yeasts are used to produce artemisinin and insulin analogs. The first generation of statins, a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs, was derived from fungi. Lovastatin, the first commercial statin, was extracted from a fermentation broth of Aspergillus terreus. Fungi are also used to produce psychoactive drugs, such as ergotamine, dihydroergotamine, and ergometrine, which are extracted from the ergot fungus Claviceps purpurea.
Recent innovations in fungal drug discovery include the work of Hexagon Bio, which has developed a method to heterologously express cryptic biosynthetic genes, streamlining the process of producing secondary metabolites. This has opened up new possibilities for pharmaceutical production using fungi.
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Frequently asked questions
Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source.
All mushrooms are fungi, but not all fungi are mushrooms. Mushrooms are fungi with a stem (stipe) and a cap (pileus).
Yeasts, brackets, jellies, clubs, crusts, corals, molds, rusts, and smuts are all different types of fungi that are not mushrooms.
