Morphology and Physiology
What function do the gills of a mushroom serve?
Spore production
True or false: mushrooms are closely related to plants
False! They are more closely related to animals
What is it called when a fungus has a relationship with a plant?
Mycorrhizae
How can fungi be beneficial to the environment?
Breaking down organic matter, improving soil health, supporting plant life through symbiosis, cleaning up pollution, ect.
What mushroom was used to make ink in the 1800s?
The ink cap
What is the fungi cell wall primarily composed of?
Chitin
True or false: bright colors on a mushroom means it is poison
False
What genus does the fungi that parasitizes insects and turn them into "zombies" belong to?
Cordyceps
What are some pollutants that fungi can absorb from the environment?
Heavy metals, E. coli, Fossil Fuels, etc.
What is the species of the mushroom that is the largest known organism in the world?
The honey mushroom (Armillaria ostoyae)
Which species of mushroom has over 28,000 distinct sexes?
Schizophyllum commune
Is mushrooms growing in soil is an indication of poor soil health?
No, mushrooms growing in soil is normally a sign of good soil health (in outdoor soil)
Is lychen a plant, animal, or fungi?
Trick question, it is actually all three (in some cases just a plant and a fungi)
What type of fungus infects trees, causing mountian pine beetles to infect the tree and consume the fungus?
Blue-stain fungus
What extinct genus of fungi could grow up to 30 feet (8-9 meters) tall?
Prototaxites
How do fungi consume nutrients?
Enzymes (specifically extracellular enzymes)
False: You have to ingest the fungus for any toxic compounds to affect you.
What phylum is responsable for the decline of over 500 frog species and the extinction of 90?
Chytrids (chytridmycota)
Name one type of fungi that is capable of digesting plastics?
Pestalotiopsis microspora, oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus), or Aspergillus tubingensis
What types of mushrooms were found on Otzi's mummy (the ice man)?
The birch polypore (Fomitopsis betulina) and the tinder fungus (Fomes fomentarius)
What is the reason for the mottled (spotted) appearance of some mushroom gills?
The basidia (spore producing structure) mature at different rates, producing a dotted effect on the gills surface.
It was believed that if you drank the pee of a reindeer that had consumed this mushroom, you would receive the medicinal benefits...
Amanita muscaria
This group of fungi live in the gut of Cattle and help them digest cellulose for energy(the sugar in grass)
Neocallimastigomycota
What saltwater tolerant mushroom was used in the cleanup of the BP oil spill?
Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus)
What type of mushroom was found to be partially carnivorous through paralyzing nematodes with toxins?
Pleurotus ostreatus