Portal:Fungi

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The Fungi Portal

A fungus is any member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. The Fungi are classified as a kingdom that is separate from plants and animals. The discipline of biology devoted to the study of fungi is known as mycology or fungal biology, which is historically regarded as a branch of botany, even though genetic studies have shown that fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants. Fungi reproduce via spores and grow as hyphae, mycelia, and further specialized structures. Fungal spores are often produced on specialized structures or in fruiting bodies, such as the head of a mushroom. Abundant worldwide, most fungi are mostly invisible to the naked eye because of the small size of their structures, and their cryptic lifestyles in soil, on dead matter, and as symbionts of plants, animals, or other fungi. Fungi perform an essential role in the decomposition of organic matter and have fundamental roles in nutrient cycling and exchange. They have long been used as a direct source of food, such as mushrooms and truffles, as a leavening agent for bread, and in fermentation of various food products, such as wine, beer, and soy sauce.

Since the 1940s, fungi have been used for the production of antibiotics, and, more recently, various enzymes produced by fungi are used industrially and in detergents. Fungi are also used as biological agents to control weeds and pests. Many species produce bioactive compounds called mycotoxins, such as alkaloids and polyketides, that are toxic to animals including humans. The fruiting structures of a few species are consumed recreationally or in traditional ceremonies as a source of psychotropic compounds. Fungi can break down manufactured materials and buildings, and become significant pathogens of humans and other animals. Losses of crops due to fungal diseases or food spoilage can have a large impact on human food supplies and local economies. Despite their importance on human affairs, little is known of the true biodiversity of Kingdom Fungi, which has been estimated at around 1.5 million species, with about 5% of these having been formally classified.

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Coprinellus micaceus is a common species of fungus in the family Psathyrellaceae with a cosmopolitan distribution. The fruit bodies of the saprobe typically grow in clusters on or near rotting hardwood tree stumps or underground tree roots. Depending on their stage of development, the tawny-brown mushroom caps may range in shape from oval to bell-shaped to convex, and reach diameters up to 3 cm (1.2 in). The caps, marked with fine radial grooves that extend nearly to the center, rest atop whitish stems up to 10 cm (3.9 in) long. In young specimens, the entire cap surface is coated with a fine layer of reflective mica-like cells that provide the inspiration for both the mushroom's species name and the common names mica cap, shiny cap, and glistening inky cap. Although small and with thin flesh, the mushrooms are usually bountiful, as they typically grow in dense clusters. A few hours after collection, the gills will begin to slowly dissolve into a black, inky, spore-laden liquid—an enzymatic process called autodigestion or deliquescence. The fruit bodies are edible before the gills blacken and dissolve, and cooking will stop the autodigestion process.

The microscopic characteristics and cytogenetics of C. micaceus are well known, and it has been used frequently as a model organism to study cell division and meiosis in Basidiomycetes. Chemical analysis of the fruit bodies has revealed the presence of antibacterial and enzyme-inhibiting compounds. Formerly known as Coprinus micaceus, the species was transferred to Coprinellus in 2001 as phylogenetic analyses provided the impetus for a reorganization of the many species formerly grouped together in the genus Coprinus. Based on external appearance, C. micaceus is virtually indistinguishable from C. truncorum, and it has been suggested that many reported collections of the former may be of the latter.

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Amanita rubrovolvata, commonly known as the red volva amanita, is a species of fungus in the family Amanitaceae. First described scientifically by the Japanese mycologist S. Imai in 1939, it is widely distributed in eastern Asia. The fungus produces small- to medium-sized mushrooms, with reddish-orange caps up to 6.5 mm (0.26 in) wide. The stems are up to 100 mm (3.9 in) tall, cream above the ring and cream to yellowish below it. The stem ends in a roughly spherical bulb at the base, which is covered with bright orange patches. Neither edibility nor toxicity have been established for the fungus, but it is suspected to be associated with neurological anomalies. Several molecular studies have confirmed the mushroom's classification in the subgenus Amanita of the genus Amanita, along with closely related species such as A. muscaria.

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Join Wikipedia:WikiProject Fungi or ask on the talk page.
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Credit: JJ Harrison

A mature Amanita muscaria mushroom, photographed in Mt Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia.

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Did you know?

... that the giant leucopax mushroom has bioactive compounds with antioxidative, antibiotic, and anti-cancer properties?
... that the Santa Rosa Island endemic lichen Caloplaca obamae is the first species to be named in honor of United States President Barack Obama?
... that the characteristic star-shaped dehiscence of the fungus Geastrum saccatum is thought to be due to the buildup of crystalline calcium oxalate?
... that the spores of the Column Stinkhorn fungus are formed as a bad-smelling gleba smeared on the inside of several column-like appendages?
... that mushroom species Mycena haematopus, also known as the "Bleeding Mycena", oozes a red latex when cut?

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General images - show new batch

The following are images from various fungi-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Ferula mushroom in Bingöl, Turkey. This is an edible type of mushroom. (from Mushroom)
Image 2Fungi within Ascomycota form ascogonium and antheridium with trichogyne bridge (from Mating in fungi)
Image 3Agaricus bisporus, one of the most widely cultivated and consumed mushrooms (from Mushroom)
Image 4The blue gills of Lactarius indigo, a milk-cap mushroom (from Mushroom)
Image 5A mushroom (probably Russula brevipes) parasitized by Hypomyces lactifluorum resulting in a "lobster mushroom" (from Mushroom)
Image 6Group photograph taken at a meeting of the British Mycological Society in 1913 (from Mycology)
Image 7
Mycoloop links between phytoplankton and zooplankton
Chytrid‐mediated trophic links between phytoplankton and zooplankton (mycoloop). While small phytoplankton species can be grazed upon by zooplankton, large phytoplankton species constitute poorly edible or even inedible prey. Chytrid infections on large phytoplankton can induce changes in palatability, as a result of host aggregation (reduced edibility) or mechanistic fragmentation of cells or filaments (increased palatability). First, chytrid parasites extract and repack nutrients and energy from their hosts in form of readily edible zoospores. Second, infected and fragmented hosts including attached sporangia can also be ingested by grazers (i.e. concomitant predation). (from Marine fungi)
Image 8Maitake, a polypore mushroom (from Mushroom)
Image 9The photochemistry of vitamin D₂ biosynthesis (from Medicinal uses of fungi)
Image 10Oral candidiasis (from Fungal infection)
Image 11Psilocybe zapotecorum, a hallucinogenic mushroom (from Mushroom)
Image 12Agaricus bisporus, a cultivated edible mushroom with various names including "button mushroom", "portobello" and "champignon" (from Mushroom)
Image 13Close-up cross section of mushroom gills (from Mushroom)
Image 14Onychomycosis (from Fungal infection)
Image 15The red yeast rice fungus, Monascus purpureus, can synthesize three statins. (from Medicinal uses of fungi)
Image 16
Diagram of a mycoloop (fungus loop)
Parasitic chytrids can transfer material from large inedible phytoplankton to zooplankton. Chytrids zoospores are excellent food for zooplankton in terms of size (2–5 μm in diameter), shape, nutritional quality (rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and cholesterols). Large colonies of host phytoplankton may also be fragmented by chytrid infections and become edible to zooplankton. (from Marine fungi)
Image 17Coprinopsis atramentaria, commonly known as the "ink cap" (from Mushroom)
Image 18Neurospora crassa life cycle. The haploid mycelium reproduces asexually by two processes: (1) simple proliferation of existing mycelium, and (2) formation of conidia (macro- and micro-) which can be dispersed and then germinate to produce new mycelium. In the sexual cycle, mating can only occur between individual strains of different mating type, A and a. Fertilization occurs by the passage of nuclei of conidia or mycelium of one mating type into the protoperithecia of the opposite mating type through the trichogyne. Fusion of the nuclei of opposite mating types occurs within the protoperithecium to form a zygote (2N) nucleus. (from Mating in fungi)
Image 19Morchella elata asci viewed with phase contrast microscopy (from Mushroom)
Image 20Ling Zhi-8, an immunomodulatory protein isolated from Ganoderma lucidum (from Medicinal uses of fungi)
Image 21Morphological diversity of fungi collected from a marine sponge species, Ircinia variabilis (from Marine fungi)
Image 22Fungi within Zygomycota form progametangia with suspensors during mating (from Mating in fungi)
Image 23Ganoderma lingzhi (from Mushroom)
Image 24Amanita muscaria, the most easily recognised "toadstool", is frequently depicted in fairy stories and on greeting cards. It is often associated with gnomes. (from Mushroom)
Image 25Culinary mushrooms in a diversity of shapes and colors (from Mushroom)
Image 26Mushrooms are considered a kind of fungal reproductive organ. (from Mycology)
Image 27Workup algorithm of fungal infection at a microbiology lab at a New England community hospital. (from Fungal infection)
Image 28Typical mating fusion of two compatible monokaryons in Basidiomycota (from Mating in fungi)
Image 29Amanita jacksonii buttons emerging from their universal veils (from Mushroom)
Image 30Tinea corporis (from Fungal infection)
Image 31Phylogenetic and symbiogenetic tree of living organisms, showing a view of the origins of eukaryotes and prokaryotes (from Marine fungi)
Image 32Pennate diatom from an Arctic meltpond, infected with two chytrid-like [zoo-]sporangium fungal pathogens (in false-colour red). Scale bar = 10 μm. (from Marine fungi)
Image 33There are over 100 psychoactive mushroom species of genus Psilocybe native to regions all around the world. (from Mushroom)
Image 34Salmon with fungal disease (from Marine fungi)
Image 35Amanita muscaria, a psychotropic mushroom commonly known as "fly agaric" (from Mushroom)
Image 36
Roles of fungi in the marine carbon cycle
Roles of fungi in the marine carbon cycle by processing phytoplankton-derived organic matter. Parasitic fungi, as well as saprotrophic fungi, directly assimilate phytoplankton organic carbon. By releasing zoospores, the fungi bridge the trophic linkage to zooplankton, known as the mycoloop. By modifying the particulate and dissolved organic carbon, they can affect bacteria and the microbial loop. These processes may modify marine snow chemical composition and the subsequent functioning of the biological carbon pump. (from Marine fungi)
Image 37
Lichen covered rocks
(from Marine fungi)
Image 38Boletus edulis, also known as "cep", an edible wild bolete found in Europe (from Mushroom)
Image 39Agaricus bitorquis (the "pavement mushroom") emerging through asphalt concrete in summer (from Mushroom)
Image 40Young Amanita phalloides "death cap" mushrooms, with a matchbox for size comparison (from Mushroom)
Image 41Eumycetoma (from Fungal infection)
Image 42Lycoperdon perlatum (the "common puffball") has a glebal hymenium; when young, the interior is white, but it becomes brown containing powdery spores as the fungus matures. (from Mushroom)
Image 43Morphological characteristics of the caps of mushrooms (from Mushroom)
Image 44A tinder fungus, Fomes fomentarius (from Mushroom)
Image 45
Driftwood
(from Marine fungi)
Image 46Chytrid parasites of marine diatoms. (A) Chytrid sporangia on Pleurosigma sp. The white arrow indicates the operculate discharge pore. (B) Rhizoids (white arrow) extending into diatom host. (C) Chlorophyll aggregates localized to infection sites (white arrows). (D and E) Single hosts bearing multiple zoosporangia at different stages of development. The white arrow in panel E highlights branching rhizoids. (F) Endobiotic chytrid-like sporangia within diatom frustule. Bars = 10 μm. (from Marine fungi)
Image 47Leucocoprinus birnbaumii, commonly known as the "flowerpot parasol", at various stages of development (from Mushroom)
Image 48Pityriasis versicolor (from Fungal infection)