Michael Davis
Mushrooms are a lot like plants, but they are not plants or animals. They are part of the Fungi kingdom, which also includes yeasts, moulds, smuts, and rusts. Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi, typically produced above ground. The gills of the mushroom produce microscopic spores, which help the fungus spread across the ground or its occupant surface. Fungi play an important role in ecosystem restoration, advancing reforestation in degraded soils, and acting as pest control. They can also degrade various pollutants, such as plastics and other petroleum-based products. However, some fungi can be detrimental to humans, animals, and plants, causing diseases and food spoilage.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. |
| Composition | Raw brown mushrooms are 92% water, 4% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and less than 1% fat. |
| Uses | Mushrooms can be used for dyeing wool and other natural fibers, as tinder for starting fires, and as a source of drugs and antibiotics. |
| Benefits | Fungi help degrade pollutants like plastic and petroleum products, advance reforestation, and act as pest control. They are also an important part of soil biodiversity and can help tackle climate change and hunger. |
| Conservation | Sustainable soil management and ecosystem conservation are essential for preserving fungi diversity and enhancing their ecosystem services for humans and nature. |
| Toxicity | Mushroom toxicity has been known for millennia and can cause severe poisonings, gastrointestinal issues, seizures, and even death. |
| Identification | Identification to species requires examining the mature structure of the mushroom, as only this stage possesses certain characteristics needed for species identification. |
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What You'll Learn
- Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi
- Fungi help mushrooms spread by producing microscopic spores
- Fungi can be detrimental to humans, causing mushroom toxicity and poisoning
- Fungi are used in the creation of antibiotics and other drugs
- Fungi are essential for soil biodiversity and ecosystem restoration
Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi
The term "mushroom" is used to describe the fleshy fruiting bodies of some Ascomycota. The gills produce microscopic spores, which help the fungus spread across the ground or its occupant surface. Mushrooms are formed from hyphae, the tiny threads that make up the bulk of most fungi. A network of hyphae, known as a mycelium, extends in all directions through the soil. This network grows above the soil, developing into the stalk, cap, and gills of the mushroom.
The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus. The word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that have a stem (stipe), a cap (pileus), and gills (lamellae, singular lamella) on the underside of the cap. However, the term may also refer to many stemless gilled fungi with varying forms, such as the "morel", "puffball", or "stinkhorn".
Mushrooms develop from a button stage into a mature structure, and only the latter can provide certain characteristics needed for species identification. The underlying mycelium can be long-lived and massive, even when the mushroom itself is short-lived. For example, a colony of Armillaria solidipes in the United States is estimated to be 2,400 years old and spans 2,200 acres.
Fungi, including mushrooms, have had various impacts on humans. Some mushrooms are famously delicious and nutritious, while others are deadly. Fungi are used to create antibiotics and other drugs, such as penicillin, which was first isolated from a rotten cantaloupe in the 1940s. Fungi have also been used for dyeing wool and other natural fibres, and as fire starters (known as tinder fungi). However, they have also spoiled grain, fruit, and vegetable crops for millennia, and are responsible for a significant amount of food spoilage.
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Fungi help mushrooms spread by producing microscopic spores
Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. They are neither plants nor animals and constitute their own kingdom: Fungi.
Fungi produce microscopic spores that help them spread across the ground or their occupant surface. The spores are tiny cells that form on special hyphae. They are so small and lightweight that they can easily move unseen in the air currents. Most fungal spores are spread by the wind, but some are also spread by water droplets from rain or streams, and others need help from animals such as flies.
Before developing the mushroom structure, the fungus lives as a mycelium, a mat-like or net-like network of filaments infusing a patch of soil or wood. When conditions are right, the mycelium develops a fruiting structure, a mushroom, which emerges from the ground or a tree.
Mushrooms often live on the forest floor, under logs, or in tight spaces where wind wouldn't be expected to reach. To address this, they create their own wind to spread their spores by allowing their moisture to evaporate. This evaporation creates airflow, which helps give spores a better chance of finding a new, moist location to land and begin growing.
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Fungi can be detrimental to humans, causing mushroom toxicity and poisoning
Mushroom poisoning is caused by ingesting mushrooms that contain toxic substances. The clinical presentation differs depending on the species of mushroom and toxin ingested. Symptoms can vary from slight gastrointestinal discomfort to death within about 10 days. Gastrointestinal symptoms are the most common, with nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhoea associated with ingestion accounting for the majority of reported poisonings. Other symptoms can include seizures, hallucinations, and cholinergic toxicity, which can cause abdominal cramping, diaphoresis, salivation, lacrimation, bronchospasm, bronchorrhea, and bradycardia. In some cases, mushroom poisoning can lead to renal impairment, end-stage renal failure, and liver failure.
Most mushroom ingestions that result in gastrointestinal symptoms will recover without complication when provided adequate supportive care. However, it is important to seek medical attention immediately if mushroom poisoning is suspected, as some cases may require hemodialysis, kidney transplantation, or liver transplantation. To prevent mushroom poisoning, it is recommended that only mushrooms purchased from a reputable source, such as a supermarket or greengrocer, be consumed. If foraging for wild mushrooms, it is crucial to familiarise oneself with both the edible and toxic mushroom species to avoid misidentification, as this is the most common cause of mushroom poisoning.
Mushroom toxicity has been known for millennia and is implicated in the deaths of several historical figures, including the Roman Emperor Claudius. Today, new species of fungi are being discovered at an estimated rate of 800 per year, and recent investigations have reclassified some species of mushrooms from edible to poisonous. This highlights the importance of seeking expert advice when identifying mushrooms for consumption and taking immediate medical action if poisoning is suspected.
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Fungi are used in the creation of antibiotics and other drugs
Fungi have been used in the creation of antibiotics and other drugs. Penicillin, for instance, was produced by the fermentation of various types of sugar by the fungus Penicillium rubens. The fermentation process produces penicillin as a secondary metabolite when the growth of the fungus is inhibited by stress. Penicillin V (phenoxymethylpenicillin) is produced by adding the precursor phenoxyacetic acid to the medium in which a genetically modified strain of the penicillium fungus is being cultured.
Penicillin biosynthesis mimics protein biosynthesis in important ways, but the macromolecules that carry out the two processes are related only in function. The proteins of the penicillin pathway fall into various functional categories: enzymes that make nonstandard building blocks such as α-aminoadipate; enzymes that form the modules that select and stitch these building blocks together; enzymes that modify the peptide into the functional antibiotic; regulatory proteins that ensure the pathway is expressed under appropriate conditions; and resistance proteins that prevent the would-be producer from getting killed.
In addition to penicillin, other antibiotics produced by fungi include fusafungine and fusidic acid. Fusidic acid is a narrow-spectrum antibiotic that is commonly used against S. aureus. It binds to an elongation factor and the corresponding ribosome during protein synthesis, which does not allow it to continue protein synthesis. While eukaryotes have other elongation factors, bacteria become unable to synthesize proteins.
Fungi have also been used to create other drugs. For example, in a few countries, extracts such as polysaccharide-K, schizophyllan, polysaccharide peptide, or lentinan are government-registered adjuvant cancer therapies. However, clinical evidence for the efficacy and safety of these extracts in humans has not been confirmed. Regulatory agencies, such as the US Food and Drug Administration, regard such use as a dietary supplement, which does not have government approval or common clinical use as a prescription drug.
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Fungi are essential for soil biodiversity and ecosystem restoration
Fungi are the ultimate recyclers in nature. They break down organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil, and are responsible for the decomposition of plant and animal debris, thus increasing the availability of nutrients in the soil. This decomposition ability also extends to breaking down pollutants and toxins, contributing to the detoxification of contaminated environments. As natural decomposers, fungi play a crucial role in tackling climate change and promoting ecosystem restoration.
Fungi are closely linked with vegetation and carbon and nutrient cycling. They have a unique ability to transform nutrients, making them available for plants. This transformation of nutrients is vital for plant growth and survival. The symbiotic relationship between fungi and plants is estimated to be crucial for over 90% of plant species worldwide. Fungi form common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs), which facilitate the sharing and reconfiguration of water and nutrients among different plant species. This interdependence enhances the diversity of the soil microbiome and the resilience of botanical systems.
Additionally, fungi contribute to soil formation and fertility. They help control soil erosion, retain moisture, and enhance the soil's ability to sequester carbon. Conserving fungal diversity is of utmost importance as it directly impacts the health and functioning of ecosystems. Sustainable soil management and ecosystem conservation practices are essential to preserving fungi diversity and enhancing the benefits they provide to both nature and humans.
Fungi have a significant impact on the intricate balance of life on our planet. They are found in a wide range of environments and play a crucial role in maintaining the health and harmony of ecosystems. As we continue to learn more about their extraordinary biochemical impacts, it becomes evident that fungi are the hidden heroes of our ecosystems.
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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. The gills of the mushroom produce microscopic spores, which help the fungus spread across the ground or its occupant surface.
Mushrooms are a type of fungus. They are made up of masses of specially arranged hyphae, which are thin outer walls that help move food, water, and oxygen into the living fungal cell. Mushrooms are neither plants nor animals; they constitute their own kingdom: the Fungi.
Fungi are responsible for important ecosystem services, which benefit humans and the overall ecosystem. They can help tackle global challenges, including climate change and hunger. Fungi have been found to degrade pollutants such as plastic and other toxins from the environment. They can also help with ecosystem restoration by advancing reforestation in degraded soils and acting as pest control. Fungi are also used in food and beverage production, such as making bread rise, turning grapes into wine, and creating blue cheese. Additionally, they are used in medicine, with some species creating antibiotics and other drugs. Sustainable soil management and ecosystem conservation are crucial for preserving fungi diversity and enhancing their benefits to the ecosystem.
