Laura Smith
Despite their differences in appearance, humans and mushrooms share several similarities. Both are believed to have evolved from ancestors engaged in multicellularity over a billion years ago, and humans share about a quarter to half of their active genes with mushrooms. Like humans, mushrooms also possess medicinal properties, with certain varieties offering adaptogenic benefits and potential mental health applications. Additionally, mushrooms demonstrate sustainable solutions through their balanced interchange with the environment, echoing humanity's pursuit of regenerative living.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Genetic Similarity | Humans and mushrooms share about 50% of their DNA |
| Common Ancestor | Animals and fungi share a common ancestor that branched away from plants around 1.1 billion years ago |
| Motility | Some fungi can move or crawl, a trait not seen in plants |
| Medicinal Properties | Mushrooms have medicinal properties that can boost immunity, fight tumours, lower inflammation, and support brain health |
| Spiritual Exploration | Mushrooms have been used for spiritual exploration and to facilitate psychological growth |
| Environmental Impact | Mushrooms demonstrate sustainable solutions and can help remediate pollution, break down plastics, and curb climate change |
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What You'll Learn
Humans and mushrooms share nearly 50% of their DNA
Humans and mushrooms share a surprising amount of DNA, with research suggesting that the figure is as high as 50%. This is because mushrooms and humans evolved from ancestors engaged in multicellularity over a billion years ago. While mushrooms branched off on their own evolutionary path, they still retain genetic DNA remnants from our shared origins.
The first hypotheses about the relationship between fungi and animals emerged in the 1950s, and scientists have since confirmed that fungi, including mushrooms, are more closely related to animals than plants. This is because fungi and animals share a more recent common ancestor than either does with the lineage leading to plants. This common ancestor was likely a single-celled organism that exhibited sperm-like characteristics and later developed a stronger cell wall.
Both humans and mushrooms are heterotrophs, meaning they consume other organisms for nutrition. They also share the ability to reproduce, with humans doing so sexually and mushrooms asexually through spores. Like humans, mushrooms have developed powerful medicinal properties. Many varieties are renowned adaptogens that can boost immunity, fight tumours, lower inflammation, and support brain health.
Mushrooms also form vital symbiotic relationships with plant roots through their mycelial networks. This subterranean web allows information and resources to flow between diverse species across large underground territories. In this way, mushrooms act as nature's internet, mirroring human social bonds and our communion with each other and the natural world.
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Both produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight
Humans and mushrooms share a surprising number of similarities, with both producing vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. This is due to their shared ancestry, with humans and mushrooms evolving from ancestors engaged in multicellularity over a billion years ago.
Mushrooms are more closely related to humans than to plants, with both sharing a common ancestor that lived around 1.1 billion years ago. This ancestor was likely a single-celled organism with sperm-like characteristics, which later evolved into a stronger-walled cell structure typical of fungi.
The DNA of fungi and humans is strikingly similar, with nearly 50% of our genes in common. This kinship is reflected in various ways, including how both humans and mushrooms store carbohydrate energy as glycogen. The ability to produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight is another fascinating example of this shared genetic heritage.
Vitamin D is essential for maintaining healthy bones, teeth, and muscles, and it also supports the immune system. Humans produce vitamin D when the cholesterol in our skin is exposed to sunlight, specifically UVB radiation. Mushrooms, on the other hand, produce vitamin D2, a form of vitamin D, when exposed to UVB light. This process is similar to that of humans, and it results in the mushrooms themselves becoming a source of vitamin D.
The discovery of this shared ability to produce vitamin D highlights the intricate connections between different life forms and underscores the importance of sunlight for the well-being of both humans and mushrooms.
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Both possess medicinal properties
Humans and mushrooms share medicinal properties, with the latter being used for centuries by ancient cultures for their psychedelic and therapeutic effects. Research on psilocybin and other hallucinogenic mushroom compounds has shown promise in treating mental health issues, facilitating psychological growth, and supporting brain health.
Mushrooms are also adaptogens, meaning they can boost immunity, fight tumours, lower inflammation, and alleviate conditions like anxiety and depression. Their healing abilities come from unique protein complexes and polysaccharides that interact with human cells. As herbal remedies, mushrooms offer natural alternatives to support human wellness, working in synergy with our bodies.
The reishi, lion's mane, and chaga varieties are renowned for their medicinal properties. These mushrooms can be used ceremonially with intention and integration, helping people expand their consciousness and work through emotional blocks.
Furthermore, mushrooms demonstrate sustainable solutions and a balanced interchange with the environment, which aligns with humans' goals of living more regeneratively. Through their mycelial networks, mushrooms form vital symbiotic relationships with plant roots, trading nutrients for carbohydrates. This process, called mycorrhizal association, allows information and resources to flow between diverse species across vast underground territories.
The shared medicinal properties of humans and mushrooms highlight their interconnectedness and the potential for natural, synergistic treatments to support human health and environmental sustainability.
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Both have the ability to induce dream-like states
Humans and mushrooms share key genetic traits, with humans sharing about 50% of their DNA with fungi. One of the similarities between the two is their ability to induce dream-like states.
Mushrooms have long been revered for their psychedelic compounds and their ability to induce dream-like states. Psilocybin, a psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms, triggers brain activity characteristic of dream states. It elicits brain activity similar to someone who is dreaming, leading to experiences described as "waking dreams". Psilocybin produces neurobiological changes, including increased brain activity in regions involved in emotion and memory, which are the same patterns observed during dreaming. This results in feelings of mind-broadening and selflessness commonly reported after consuming magic mushrooms.
Humans, on the other hand, have the ability to induce lucid dreams, where the dreamer realizes they are dreaming and may even gain some control over the dream narrative or environment. This is achieved through techniques such as the MILD technique, which involves creating an intention to recognize when one is dreaming and carrying that intention into the dream state. Lucid dreaming has been explored in psychotherapy to alleviate recurrent nightmares and improve sleep quality.
Both mushrooms and humans possess the capacity to alter consciousness and induce dream-like states, whether through the consumption of psychedelic mushrooms or the practice of lucid dreaming. These shared abilities highlight the genetic and physiological connections between humans and mushrooms, providing insight into the functioning of the human brain and consciousness.
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Both are motile
Humans and mushrooms share a common ancestor that was a single-celled organism with motility. This ancestor likely exhibited sperm-like characteristics, with a flagellum that allowed it to move. This is similar to human sperm cells, which also have a tail-like structure that enables motility.
Over time, this common ancestor evolved into two distinct lineages: the fungi kingdom, which includes mushrooms, and the animal kingdom, which includes humans. Despite their differences in appearance and lifestyle, humans and mushrooms still share key genetic traits due to their shared evolutionary history.
Both humans and mushrooms have evolved from a common ancestor that was capable of movement, or motility. This motility is achieved through flagella, a tail-like structure that whips back and forth to propel the cell forward. In the case of the common ancestor, it likely had a single flagellum on the back that enabled it to move through its environment.
As evolution progressed, the lineage that led to animals, including humans, retained this motility through the development of specialized cells called sperm cells. Sperm cells play a crucial role in human reproduction, carrying genetic information and swimming towards the female egg cell during fertilization.
While mushrooms do not have sperm cells, they have retained the ability for movement through different mechanisms. Some fungi can move or seem to crawl, achieving motility through the use of flagella or other structural adaptations. This movement allows mushrooms to spread to new areas and colonize new environments, demonstrating their adaptability and survival strategies.
In summary, both humans and mushrooms can be considered motile, even though they express this trait in different ways. This shared trait can be traced back to their common ancestor, highlighting the interconnectedness and complexity of life's evolutionary journey.
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Frequently asked questions
Humans and mushrooms share about 50% of their DNA, more than humans share with plants. Both mushrooms and humans store carbohydrate energy as glycogen, while plants use starch to store energy.
Humans and mushrooms share a common ancestor that lived over a billion years ago. Mushrooms branched off on their evolutionary path but still retain genetic DNA remnants from our shared origins.
Mushrooms, like humans, produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. Both humans and mushrooms have been shown to possess medicinal properties. Mushrooms have been found to boost immunity, fight tumours, lower inflammation, and support brain health.
