Mushrooms
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| Fungi date back at least 400 million years. Part of the essence of the ecological system, they facilitate the decay that in turn provides nutrients for the trees and plants that themselves sustain other life. Mushrooms absorb nutrients by secreting enzymes to decompose the matter on which they situate themselves. Different types of fungi attach to either dead or living matter. They stand equal to animals and plants, in their own biological kingdom. Unlike plants, which rely on chlorophyll to survive, mushrooms are heterotrophic, meaning they acquire energy by secreting digestive enzymes that break down and absorb organic molecules. Interestingly, they share with insects cellular walls composed of chitin, a hard covering, as opposed to cellulose, found in plants. They reproduce by releasing their spores into the air. | |
All text and images copyright (c) Steven M. Richman 2006-2007