6.07 A Fungus among Us

Well, it's a new day, and we're taking you out hunting. No, not with guns, but with our fungus field guides. Today, as we head into the end of your time at the Triple T, we wanted you to get in some exercise, learn something new, and pick some mushrooms for Cookie, the Triple T's chef. We're taking you on a guided nature walk.

Get your hiking boots on; grab a field guide, some sunscreen, and your water bottle. Let's get moving before the sun gets too high!

In this activity, you will: identify the basic characteristics of organisms of the Fungus Kingdom understand and explain the importance of fungus as decomposers report negative effects of fungus The Honors student will: relate special adaptive structures of fungi to their functions

Thinking About Fungi

As we get started, let's talk a bit about the organisms in the Fungus Kingdom.

Take a deep breath. Okay, let it out. Did you know you just breathed in millions of fungus spores? Gross, I know. Spores are one of the main kinds of reproductive cells produced by fungi. They are released into the air and travel on the wind until they come to rest in a place that has the conditions a fungus needs to grow. Mushrooms, bracket fungi, and puff balls are some commonly known fungi that all send out spores like this.

Oh, and how many times have you opened up your refrigerator to find green fuzzies on the cheese? Oh yeah, and that container of leftovers that got shoved into the back and forgotten about—now it has all these black spots growing all over it and it smells horrible. Where does that come from? Those are all fungi.

Fungi can live in water, in dirt, on foods, and even between our toes and other places in and on our bodies. One of the requirements for fungus growth is moisture, something each of these environments provides.

There are over one hundred thousand different fungus species that have been identified and described. They all have unique physical characteristics, but what makes a mushroom and the stuff that grows on your bread both a fungus? It is the cellular composition.

Move on to the BioVenture tab to continue this activity.