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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Lactarius volemus is a species of fungus in the genus Lactarius. It is distributed in warm temperate regions and northern areas of the Northern Hemisphere, and has been collected in Europe, North America, Central America, and Asia. A mycorrhizal fungus, its fruit bodies grow on the ground at the base of various species of trees from summer to autumn, either individually or in groups. It is considered a choice edible mushroom, and is sold in markets in Asia. There are several other Lactarius mushrooms that resemble L. volemus, such as the closely related edible species L. corrugis, but they can be distinguished by differences in distribution, visible morphology, or microscopic characteristics. L. volemus produces a white spore print and has roughly spherical spores about 7–8 micrometres in diameter.

The colour of the L. volemus mushroom varies from apricot to tawny, and the cap may be up to 11 cm (4.3 in) wide. The pale golden yellow gills on the underside of the cap are closely spaced and sometimes forked. One of the mushroom's most distinctive features is the large amount of latex ("milk") that it exudes when the gills are damaged, leading to the common names weeping milk cap and voluminous-latex milky. It also has a distinctive fishy smell, which does not affect the taste. The fruit bodies have been chemically analysed and found to contain several sterols related to ergosterol, some of which are unique to this species. The mushroom also contains a natural rubber that has been chemically characterized. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that Lactarius volemus represents several species or subspecies, rather than a single taxon.

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Cyathus striatus, commonly known as the fluted bird's nest, is a common saprobic bird's nest fungus with a widespread distribution throughout temperate regions of the world. This fungus resembles a miniature bird's nest with numerous tiny "eggs"; the eggs, or peridioles, are actually lens-shaped bodies that contain spores. C. striatus can be distinguished from most other bird's nest fungi by its hairy exterior and grooved (striated) inner walls. Although most frequently found growing on dead wood in open forests, it also grows on wood chip mulch in urban areas. The fruiting bodies are encountered from summer until early winter. The color and size of this species can vary somewhat, but they are typically less than a centimeter wide and tall, and grey or brown in color. Another common name given to C. striatus, splash cups, alludes to the method of spore dispersal: the sides of the cup are angled such that falling drops of water can dislodge the peridioles and eject them from the cup. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin stria, meaning "with fine ridges or grooves".

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Credit: Dan Molter

The highly reticulate cap surface of Rhodotus palmatus, the wrinkled peach mushroom.

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Did you know?

... that consumption of the psychoactive mushroom Psilocybe argentipes by mice who compulsively bury marbles significantly inhibits this behaviour?
... that the mushroom Entoloma austroprunicolor of Tasmania's wet forests changes from bluish-purple, to reddish purple, to purplish grey as it ages?
... that Disciotis venosa, Hygrophorus subalpinus, Mycena overholtsii, Plectania nannfeldtii, Ramaria botrytis, and Clitocybe glacialis are all mushrooms that grow in or near snowbanks?
... that the spiny puffball, an edible fungus, can inhibit the growth of several bacteria pathogenic to humans?
... that Cantharellus lateritius may typically be distinguished from other chanterelles by its smooth under surface?

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General images - show new batch

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

Image 1Leucocoprinus birnbaumii, commonly known as the "flowerpot parasol", at various stages of development (from Mushroom)
Image 2Neurospora 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 3
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 4There are over 100 psychoactive mushroom species of genus Psilocybe native to regions all around the world. (from Mushroom)
Image 5Pityriasis versicolor (from Fungal infection)
Image 6Agaricus bisporus, one of the most widely cultivated and consumed mushrooms (from Mushroom)
Image 7Ferula mushroom in Bingöl, Turkey. This is an edible type of mushroom. (from Mushroom)
Image 8A tinder fungus, Fomes fomentarius (from Mushroom)
Image 9Close-up cross section of mushroom gills (from Mushroom)
Image 10Pennate 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 11Amanita muscaria, a psychotropic mushroom commonly known as "fly agaric" (from Mushroom)
Image 12Onychomycosis (from Fungal infection)
Image 13Psilocybe zapotecorum, a hallucinogenic mushroom (from Mushroom)
Image 14A mushroom (probably Russula brevipes) parasitized by Hypomyces lactifluorum resulting in a "lobster mushroom" (from Mushroom)
Image 15The blue gills of Lactarius indigo, a milk-cap mushroom (from Mushroom)
Image 16
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 17Group photograph taken at a meeting of the British Mycological Society in 1913 (from Mycology)
Image 18Lycoperdon 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 19Tinea corporis (from Fungal infection)
Image 20Morchella elata asci viewed with phase contrast microscopy (from Mushroom)
Image 21
Driftwood
(from Marine fungi)
Image 22The photochemistry of vitamin D₂ biosynthesis (from Medicinal uses of fungi)
Image 23Boletus edulis, also known as "cep", an edible wild bolete found in Europe (from Mushroom)
Image 24Phylogenetic and symbiogenetic tree of living organisms, showing a view of the origins of eukaryotes and prokaryotes (from Marine fungi)
Image 25Amanita jacksonii buttons emerging from their universal veils (from Mushroom)
Image 26Amanita 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 27Morphological diversity of fungi collected from a marine sponge species, Ircinia variabilis (from Marine fungi)
Image 28Fungi within Ascomycota form ascogonium and antheridium with trichogyne bridge (from Mating in fungi)
Image 29Ling Zhi-8, an immunomodulatory protein isolated from Ganoderma lucidum (from Medicinal uses of fungi)
Image 30Agaricus bitorquis (the "pavement mushroom") emerging through asphalt concrete in summer (from Mushroom)
Image 31Workup algorithm of fungal infection at a microbiology lab at a New England community hospital. (from Fungal infection)
Image 32Chytrid 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 33Fungi within Zygomycota form progametangia with suspensors during mating (from Mating in fungi)
Image 34Salmon with fungal disease (from Marine fungi)
Image 35Agaricus bisporus, a cultivated edible mushroom with various names including "button mushroom", "portobello" and "champignon" (from Mushroom)
Image 36Morphological characteristics of the caps of mushrooms (from Mushroom)
Image 37Eumycetoma (from Fungal infection)
Image 38Young Amanita phalloides "death cap" mushrooms, with a matchbox for size comparison (from Mushroom)
Image 39
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 40Coprinopsis atramentaria, commonly known as the "ink cap" (from Mushroom)
Image 41The red yeast rice fungus, Monascus purpureus, can synthesize three statins. (from Medicinal uses of fungi)
Image 42Oral candidiasis (from Fungal infection)
Image 43Typical mating fusion of two compatible monokaryons in Basidiomycota (from Mating in fungi)
Image 44Mushrooms are considered a kind of fungal reproductive organ. (from Mycology)
Image 45Ganoderma lingzhi (from Mushroom)
Image 46
Lichen covered rocks
(from Marine fungi)
Image 47Culinary mushrooms in a diversity of shapes and colors (from Mushroom)
Image 48Maitake, a polypore mushroom (from Mushroom)