Emily Johnson
Mushrooms are a type of fungus, but they are neither plants nor animals. Fungi have historically been grouped with plants, but they are evolutionarily more closely related to animals. Fungi have unique characteristics that differentiate them from plants and animals. Unlike plants, they cannot produce their own energy through photosynthesis, and they possess chitin, a hard material found in insect exoskeletons, in their cell walls. Additionally, fungi respire like animals, requiring oxygen to thrive and expelling carbon.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Fungi |
| Ancestors | Fungi share a more recent common ancestor with humans than with plants |
| Cell walls | Made rigid with chitin |
| Cell DNA | Cells usually have half of a full set of DNA |
| Energy source | Secrete digestive enzymes and absorb nutrients from their surroundings |
| Structure | Stem (stipe), a cap (pileus), and gills (lamellae) on the underside of the cap |
| Spores | Produce microscopic spores to help the fungus spread |
| Common uses | Used in bread, beer, blue cheese, antibiotics, and other drugs |
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What You'll Learn
Mushrooms are part of the Fungi kingdom
The term "mushroom" is typically applied to those fungi that have a stem (stipe), a cap (pileus), and gills (lamellae) on the underside of the cap. Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi, usually produced above ground on soil or another food source. The gills on the underside of 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 help the fungus reproduce and spread.
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 are neither plants nor animals, and they constitute their own kingdom: the Fungi. This kingdom includes not only the familiar mushroom-forming species but also yeasts, molds, smuts, and rusts.
Fungi play an important role in nature, including in the encouragement of plant growth. They are also used by humans in various ways, such as in the production of bread, wine, beer, and blue cheese. Some fungi create antibiotics and other drugs, such as the early strain of penicillin isolated from a rotten cantaloupe in the 1940s. However, it is important to note that not all mushrooms are safe for human consumption. While some are delicious and nutritious, others are deadly. Therefore, it is crucial to properly identify mushrooms before consuming them.
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Fungi are more closely related to humans than to plants
Mushrooms are a lot like plants, but they lack chlorophyll and have to take nutrients from other materials. They are not plants or animals, but belong to their own kingdom: the Fungi. This kingdom includes the familiar mushroom-forming species, as well as yeasts, moulds, smuts, and rusts. Fungi are eukaryotic organisms that absorb nutrients from other organic matter. They don't have chloroplasts that photosynthesize; instead, they get their energy and nutrients from digesting other things, like animals do. Fungi have cell walls made rigid with chitin, rather than cellulose as in plants. Their cells usually have half of a full set of DNA, whereas in plants and animals, each cell has a full set and only eggs/sperm have half sets.
In 1993, researchers Baldouf and Palmer published a paper titled 'Animals and fungi are each other's closest relatives: congruent evidence from multiple proteins'. They compared 25 proteins and their DNA sequences. In 1998, scientists discovered that fungi split from animals about 1.538 billion years ago, whereas plants split from animals about 1.547 billion years ago. This means fungi split from animals 9 million years after plants did, making fungi more closely related to animals than to plants.
Most people would immediately view a mushroom as a vegetative organism, closely related to plants. However, this is due to their similar appearance; some mushrooms look like little red and white trees. But thanks to modern technology, the analysis of genetic relationships between species and organisms is now possible, leading to a different understanding of the relationships between forms of life.
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Mushrooms are neither plants nor animals
Fungi also differ from plants and animals in their cellular composition. Their cell walls are made rigid with chitin, while plants have cell walls made of cellulose. Additionally, fungi cells typically have half of a full set of DNA, whereas in plants and animals, each cell contains a full set, and only eggs and sperm cells have half sets.
The life cycle of mushrooms mostly takes place underground or beneath the bark of dead or living trees. Before forming the mushroom structure, the fungus exists as a mycelium, a mat-like or net-like network of filaments in the soil or wood. When the conditions are favourable, the mycelium develops a fruiting structure, which emerges from the ground or tree as a mushroom.
Mushrooms are also different from plants in that they do not produce seeds. Instead, they reproduce by releasing spores, which are extremely fine. When spores land in a suitable environment, they germinate and develop into new mycelia.
Despite their differences, humans share a more recent common ancestor with fungi than with plants. This means that we are more closely related to mushrooms than we are to plants.
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Mushrooms lack chlorophyll and have to take nutrients from other materials
Mushrooms are part of the Fungi kingdom, which also includes yeasts, moulds, smuts, and rusts. They are not plants or animals. While mushrooms may resemble plants, they do not contain chlorophyll and must obtain nutrients from other materials.
Fungi, including mushrooms, have a unique mode of acquiring nutrients. They secrete digestive enzymes and then absorb nutrients from their surroundings. This is in contrast to plants, which contain chlorophyll and are able to make their own food. Mushrooms grow by digesting other things, similar to how animals do.
Before a mushroom develops, the fungus exists as a mycelium, a mat-like or net-like network of filaments that infuse a patch of soil or wood. When the conditions are right, the mycelium develops a fruiting structure, which emerges from the ground or tree as a mushroom. Mushrooms produce spores instead of seeds, and these spores are very fine, almost like smoke.
Some fungi obtain nutrients from dead organic matter, such as leaves and fallen trees. These are called saprophytes and can be found in compost heaps. Other fungi, called parasites, digest materials from living tissues. When mushrooms are seen growing on a living tree, the tree is being parasitized by a fungus. A third group, mycorrhizal fungi, form a mutually beneficial relationship with the roots of plants. They help plants absorb water and minerals, and the plants provide nutrients for the fungi.
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Mushrooms are edible, poisonous, or unpalatable
Mushrooms are neither plants nor animals; they are part of the Fungi kingdom. They are the fleshy fruit bodies of numerous macrofungi species. While some mushrooms are edible, others are poisonous or unpalatable. Edible mushrooms are consumed for their nutritional and culinary value. They are either harvested wild or cultivated. Some of the easily cultivated and common wild mushrooms include the Giant Puffball, Beefsteak Fungus, and the Chanterelle. The prized truffle, matsutake, and morel are some of the mushrooms that are more difficult to obtain.
Mushrooms that have a particularly desirable taste are described as "choice". Edible mushrooms are often defined by the absence of poisonous effects on humans and desirable taste and aroma. However, some mushrooms that are edible for most people can cause allergic reactions in others. Moreover, old or improperly stored mushrooms can go rancid and cause food poisoning. Therefore, great care should be taken when eating any fungus for the first time, and only small quantities should be consumed to avoid individual allergies or reactions.
Poisonous mushrooms can be deadly, and confusing them with edible mushrooms has resulted in deaths. Some of the poisonous mushrooms that are frequently confused with edible mushrooms include several species of the genus Amanita, particularly A. virosa (Destroying Angel) and A. phalloides (Death Cap). The Jack O'Lantern mushroom, which resembles the Chanterelle, can cause severe gastrointestinal distress.
To identify edible mushrooms, it is important to learn which family the fungus belongs to. For example, the edible members of the Agaric family have pink to brown/black gills, a white cap, and usually a stout stem with a skirt. However, there are toxic members of this family that look very similar. If the cap of an Agaric bruises and stains bright chrome yellow, it is probably poisonous, whereas if it stains pale yellow, pink, or red, it is likely edible. Moreover, edible Agarics smell pleasantly of mushrooms, with hints of aniseed or almond, while toxic mushrooms smell of Indian ink, iodine, or chemicals.
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Frequently asked questions
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source.
No, mushrooms are not plants. Mushrooms are a part of the Fungi kingdom and are more closely related to humans than plants.
Mushrooms lack chlorophyll and do not produce their own food. They secrete digestive enzymes and absorb nutrients from their surroundings.
Some common examples of mushrooms include the white button mushroom, bolete, truffle, puffball, stinkhorn, and morel.
No, not all mushrooms are safe to eat. While some mushrooms are delicious and nutritious, others are deadly. It is important to only eat a mushroom if you are certain it is safe for human consumption.
