Outline of fungi

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to fungi:

Fungi – "Fungi" is plural for "fungus". A fungus is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes unicellular microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as multicellular fungi that produce familiar fruiting forms known as mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from the other life kingdoms of plants, animals, protists, and bacteria. One difference that places fungi in a different kingdom is that its cell walls contain chitin, unlike the cell walls of plants, bacteria and some protists. Similar to animals, fungi are heterotrophs, that is, they acquire their food by absorbing dissolved molecules, typically by secreting digestive enzymes into their environment. Growth is their means of mobility, except for spores, which may travel through the air or water (a few of which are flagellated). Fungi are the principal decomposers in ecological systems.

What type of thing are fungi?

Fungi can be described as all of the following:

  • Life forms – entities that are living.
  • Kingdom – second highest taxonomic rank of living organisms, just below domain. The kingdom Fungi belongs to the Eukaryota domain.

Types of fungi

Symbiotic life forms of which fungi are a part
  • Lichen – composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi[1] in a symbiotic relationship.[2][3] Lichens are classified by the fungal component. Lichen species are given the same scientific name (binomial name) as the fungus species in the lichen. Lichens are being integrated into the classification schemes for fungi.

Study of fungi

Mycology

History of fungi
  • History of mycology
  • Books about fungi

Persons influential in fungi

See also

References
  1. Spribille, Toby; Tuovinen, Veera; Resl, Philipp; Vanderpool, Dan; Wolinski, Heimo; Aime, M. Catherine; Schneider, Kevin; Stabentheiner, Edith; Toome-Heller, Merje (2016-07-21). "Basidiomycete yeasts in the cortex of ascomycete macrolichens". Science. 353 (6298): 488–492. doi:10.1126/science.aaf8287. ISSN 0036-8075. PMC 5793994. PMID 27445309.
  2. "What is a lichen?, Australian National Botanical Garden". Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  3. Introduction to Lichens – An Alliance between Kingdoms. University of California Museum of Paleontology.
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