Fungi Is Everywhere!

​Different types of fungus can be found in too many places to name. However, some examples of where they can be located include your landscape, forests, and even you. Scientists were able to estimate that there were approximately 2.2 to 3.8 million species of fungi! Even though that is the case, the majority of those species have not yet been found. 

What Is Fungi? 

Fungi are phenomenal organisms. Inhabiting every environment on this earth, Fungi can be microscopic or can be seen with the naked human eye. The structure of fungi usually consists of hyphae which are usually thread-like filaments or roots. A group of hyphae is called a mycelium. They can reproduce sexually or asexually. They can reproduce asexually via spores. Like all organisms, fungi want to survive and reproduce. Fungi astoundingly have existed approximately 35 million years prior to land plants. 

How Do They Live?

​Fungi have a phenomenal ability to eat a wide viraety of things. They are heterotrophic and saprotrophs. Heterotrophic means that in order for their nutritional and metabolic needs to be fulfilled, all they need is carbon. Saprotrophs are organisms are able to attain all the needed nutrients from non-living organic material. Fungi are able to break down a viraety of different subject matter like dead animals, plants, and even plastic.
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However, there are some fungi that have the ability to be parasitic. When fungi are parasitic they infiltrate and attain nutrients from living organisms. When the fungi is parasitic it has the possibility of causing disease. 

What Can They Do?

You may be wondering how does or how can it can effect your everyday life? When looking into it, fungi has a lot of economic importance. Yeast is a type of fungi that is used to help raise bread. Mushrooms are also a type of fungi, and some of the mushrooms that exist are used frequently in food dishes. It is also used in drinks such as wine and beer.
Fungi also helps make medicine such as penicillin, mycophenolate, and micafungin. Pest control. It has even helped a greater of understanding of genetics in biochemistry, specifically the restriction enzyme.

Fungi and Fun Facts

• There are types of fungus that can break down plastic!
• The largest fungal organism is found in Oregon, and it is called the Humongous Fungus. 
• Fungi are more similar to animals than they are to plants. 
• There are over 70 types of fungi that can glow in the dark!