Fungi are eukaryotic organisms that play a vital role in our biosphere. Almost all fungi are made up of chitin, and lack green chlorophyll, which sets them apart from plants. These organisms are found in a wide range of conditions, from warm, moist places to decayed matter, and they can be both beneficial and harmful.
Fungi are also known for their important economic benefits, such as their use in the production of beer and bread. The edible mushroom called Agaricus is an example of how fungi are used in food. Additionally, fungi are used in the production of antibiotics like penicillin, that help in controlling diseases and infections in humans.
Some fungi are also known to cause diseases in plants and animals, leading to significant economic losses. Puccinia is a fungus that causes rust diseases in crops, affecting their yield. Almost all fungi infections are observed to occur under moist conditions, thus carefully controlling these conditions can help in preventing fungal diseases.
The structure of fungi can be single-celled, like yeasts, or multicellular, like mushrooms. The thread-like structures known as hyphae make up the mycelium, which is responsible for the absorption of nutrients. Fungi reproduce asexually by budding, fragmentation, or conidiospores, or sexually by gametes fusion.
Examples of different kinds of fungi include:
1. Also called yeasts: single-celled fungi that are used in fermentation.
2. Molds: multicellular fungi that grow in the form of hyphae, such as Rhizopus and Mucor.
3. Mushrooms: include the edible Agaricus and the tophra fungi.
Fungi have a very close association with plants and animals, either living as parasites or forming a symbiotic relationship. Without fungi, dead organic matter would not be decomposed, and thus nutrients would not be recycled back into the ecosystem.
While fungi lack green pigments for photosynthesis, they obtain food by absorbing organic matter. Compared with plants and animals, fungi have a different mode of nutrition. They’re neither plants nor animals but form a kingdom of their own.
By absorbing organic molecules and decomposing dead matter, fungi play an essential role out of place like dead or decayed matter, essential for nutrient recycling. The yeast-like fungus is used in fermentation. Molds, mushrooms, and yeasts hold key examples in this eukaryotic kingdom. Each of these may lead to spoilage. Penicillium exhibits the phenomenon of control in biocontrol, inside it can be dichotomized as Basidiomycetes and Ascomycetes.
