| Microorganisms | Taxonomy | Habitat |
| Fungi | Viruses | Bacteria |
| What is fungi? | |||
| Fungi is a group of simple plants that have no chlorophyll. There are some species of fungi that are single celled organisms, and there are other kinds of fungi that are multi-cellular organisms. Fungi are made up of filaments called hyphe that are stacked together from end to end. Some kinds of fungi live on land and other types of fungi live in water environments. Since fungi has no chlorophyll, it can not make its own food. Some types of fungi lives off of other organisms and are parasites, but other fungi species feed off of dead and decaying matter. A third kind of fungi lives with other organisms and neither the fungi or the organism is hurt. This kind of relationship is called positive symbiosis. | |||
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| Fungus like this one feed on the remains of dead plant and animal matter. | Spores are released from the underside of mushroom caps during the reproductive cycle of mushrooms | ||
| How is fungi identified? | |||
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| Witches
Broom Fungi attacks cacao trees that produce chocolate |
Trichoderma is a good fungi, it attacks bad fungus that destroys crops. | Mushroom | Hyphae |
| How does fungi reproduce? | |||
| When reproductive hyphae cells are made by the fungus, a mushroom shape forms at the top. The scientific name for the mushroom shape is the sporocarp. It has one purpose, that is to release reproductive spores. The sporocarp is not part of the live fungi. Reproduction in fungi is sexual, but the spores which contain the reproductive cells must somehow come in contact with one another before fungi can reproduce. | |||
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| What does fungi do? | |||
Fungi are important decomposers of dead animal and plant matter. They break down dead organic matter into simple compounds that can be absorbed by the plants around it. During the process of decomposing matter, fungi returns carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Green plants use the carbon dioxide during photosynthesis to produce food. Oxygen is released into the atmosphere during the process of photosynthesis, so animal and human life depends on the fungi for survival. Plants also benefit from fungi because some fungi settle around the roots of plants. As the fungus decomposes dead matter around the roots of the plant, it leaves behind nutrients that the plant needs. Some fungi, like mushrooms, are used as ingredients in recipes. They add flavor to meals. |
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| Fungus in caves break down minerals in rock walls. | |||
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