What is a fungi?
Fungi
has a great variety and comes in different shapes and sizes. Fungi are
present in the soil, our body, the air, and so on. They are so small
that they cannot be seen with the naked eye. Fungi provide medicine and
food, but they are destructive due to diseases in plants and animals.
Fungi can be multicellular or unicellular. Fungi are everywhere, found on land, soil, sea, etc.
A group of fungi are decomposing and grow on dead plants, soil, etc. In fact, these fungi play an important role in the carbon cycle. Some of these fungi cause diseases in plants.
These
fungi can cause financial loss to farmers. Fungi rarely cause disease
in animals, but in humans.They cause diseases such as skin diseases and
so on.
The state of the world of fungi
In
previous years, mobility and the method of obtaining nutrition were
classified as criteria of a system. "Animals moved and plants did not
move, and that's how fungi got stuck with plants," said Tom Welk, a
professor of botany at the University of Wisconsin-La Cross.
Fungi
have common features with heterotrophic animals, plants, and bacteria,
but there are major differences that should be considered as an
independent kingdom today. Because they do not obtain their food through
photosynthesis, they are not considered plants.
In
the past, mycology was considered a branch of botany, but today it has
been concluded that fungi are more genetically related to animals.
Fungi
are not considered on animals due to their inability to move (except
for spores, a small number of which have flagella, which may move in the
air or water) as well as the absorption of food externally.
By
2020, approximately 148,000 species of fungi have been identified by
taxonomists. It is estimated that more than 90% of the fungi are still
unknown. (Wikipedia source)
The important role of fungi
Humans
are not yet fully aware of the role of fungi in nature and its
ecosystem, However, according to the studies that mycologists have done
in this field, they play a very important role in balancing the cycles
of biological ecosystems and are used by humans in various activities.
Types of fungi (peer reviewed)
Fungi are classified based on life cycle, body structure, type of spores. Fungi are divided into three groups:
· Multicellular filamentous fungi
· Macroscopic filamentous fungi
· Unicellular microscopic yeasts
Multicellular filamentous fungi
This
type of fungus is made up of thin strands of hyphae. Hyphae grow at the
tip and form long, branched chains. These hyphae have thin outer walls
and their food, water and oxygen must be transported through the wall to
the living fungal cell.
The hyphae continue to grow until they form a network of filaments called mycelium. (fungi reproduce)
Microscopic filamentous fungi
These
fungi grow underground by forming mycelium. These microscopic
filamentous fungi are different from molds. Yeasts are structurally
single-celled and about the size of red blood cells. Saccharomyces
cerevisiae is an important yeast.
This yeast plays an important
role in bread production. Yeasts can also be used extensively in medical
activities such as cancer research.
The effect of fungi on human health
Fungal infections
can occur in anyone. Fungi can cause many health problems and is even
more dangerous for people with immune-related diseases such as AIDS. (weakened immune systems)