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Kingdom Fungi



Lactarius deliciosus
Click on image for full size (155K)
Image courtesy of Corel Photography
Although many fungi may look like plants, they are more closely related to animals. Fungi are not able to make their own food like plants can, so they must get their nourishment from other sources. Many fungi get their nutrients directly from the soil. Others feed on dead plants and animals. Some fungi even feed on living organisms. Athlete's foot is a common fungus which feeds on a living thing - it eats bits of skin from your toes!

The mushrooms we can buy at the supermarket are an example of a fungus that you can eat. However, those mushrooms are just a tiny bit of the whole fungus. The rest of the fungus (and the biggest part) lives below the ground where we cannot see it.

Fungi come in a wide variety of sizes and forms and many have very important uses to humans. Yeasts are very tiny fungi that we use to bake bread. And did you know that many medicines are produced with the help of fungi? If you've ever taken Penicillin to help you get over an infection, you can thank a fungus! The green mold that grows on bread that's been left out too long is a close relative of that very important medicine.

Kingdom Fungi



Lactarius deliciosus
Click on image for full size (155K)
Image courtesy of Corel Photography
Though the appearance of many fungi may resemble plants, they are probably more closely related to animals. Fungi are not capable of performing photosynthesis, so must get their nourishment from other sources. Many fungi absorb nutrients directly from t he soil. Many others feed on dead and decaying organisms and therefore have an important role in the recycling of nutrients in natural systems. Still others feed on living organisms. Athlete's foot is a common fungus which feeds on a living host - you!

When you think of fungi, you probably think of the mushrooms we can buy at the supermarket or hunt for in the woods. However, those "mushrooms" are really just special structures called "fruiting bodies" produced by the fungus for reproduction. The rest of the fungus (and the biggest part) lives below the ground.

Fungi come in a wide variety of sizes and forms, and many have great economic importance. Tiny, one-celled yeasts are important for baking breads and fermenting wines, beers and vinegars. Many medicines are produced with the help of fungi, most notably, the antibiotic, Penicillin. If you leave your bread on the counter too long, you'll be able to observe a relative of the Penicillium mold for yourself!

Kingdom Fungi



Lactarius deliciosus
Click on image for full size (155K)
Image courtesy of Corel Photography
Though the outward appearance of many fungi may resemble plants, they are probably more closely related to animals. Fungi are not capable of performing photosynthesis, so must get their nourishment from other sources. Many fungi absorb organic matter directly from their immediate environment, such as in the soil. Many others feed on dead and decaying organisms and therefore have an important role in the recycling of nutrients in natural systems. Still others feed on living organisms. Athlete's foot is a common fungus which feeds on a living host - you!

When you think of fungi, you probably think of the mushrooms we can buy at the supermarket or hunt for in the woods. However, those "mushrooms" are really just the "fruiting bodies" produced by the fungus for reproduction and represent only a very small part of a much larger organism which lives below the ground. Many species of soil-dwelling fungi, such as those that produce mushrooms, form intimate associations with tree roots and assist in absorbing nutrients from the environment in exchange for food from the tree. Biologists are just beginning to understand and appreciate the role of these "mycorrhizal" fungi in natural ecosystems.

Fungi come in a wide variety of sizes and forms, and many have great economic importance. Tiny, one-celled yeasts are important for baking breads and fermenting wines, beers and vinegars. The pharmaceutical industry relies heavily on several species of fungi for the production of antibiotics, most notably, Penicillin, from a strain of Penicillium mold. If you leave your bread on the counter too long, you'll be able to observe a strain of the Penicillium mold for yourself!



Last modified prior to September, 2000 by the Windows Team

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