One of the most mysterious of living organisms on Earth are mushrooms.Scientists have attributed them to the plant kingdom, and because of this mycology - the science of mushrooms - was part of a long section of Botany, not biology.It is now found that mushrooms are somewhere in the middle between plants and animals, and researchers today are about 100 thousand of their species.
What the fungus?
In class students about mushrooms, usually, say that they consist of ground part - fruiting body, and underground - the mycelium or in a different way, the mycelium, which spreads in the soil or other substrates in the form of an extremely thin, justa few microns thick, pautinchatyh filaments.Each of the yarns which countless mycelium, hyphae called.
Fruit body can not live for more than ten days and the mycelium and there are dozens, even hundreds of years, enduring great drought or severe frost.
Land hyphae at some point going into balls, which gradually increased, and their cells, stretching form the young fruiting body (what we call a mushroom), which breaks through the substrate and grows.From this point we can admire or collect them in a basket.
Incidentally, the fungus in some way and can be considered the greatest living being of the planet.In North America, for example, there is a huge area to spawn hundreds of hectares.And the weight of the weight of the seven whales!
About reproduction of fungi
Interesting facts about mushrooms can be gathered from the features of their reproduction.The body of the fungus, which we are so happy to be eaten - it is only the body of its propagation, which scatters disputes allows us to develop a new mycelium.
Incidentally, even in any room can be found fungal spores, for taking a sample of the air.
Traditional mushrooms, such as mushrooms, throw, for example, about 40 million spores, and fungus-beetle - 100 million.But the most prolific in this sense, is a fungus-slicker, which more than 7 trillion spores ready to reproduce.And they fly at the speed of the car - 90 km / h and spread over an area of 2 m.
germinate soft-looking hat mushroom body is able to break not only the soil but also the asphalt, concrete and iron, or even marble.And where it can not grow, the barrier gradually destroys the mycelium.
Mushrooms can create yourself weather
trying to tell all about mushrooms, not to mention the fact that these creatures can change weather conditions for themselves.After all, usually the surface portion of the fungus spores spreads passively, ie they move with the current of air.And if there comes absolute calm, these mushrooms, such as shiitake or oyster mushrooms, researchers found, produce steam, creating a flow of air in the form of convection currents and able to move the debate to a certain distance.
beliefs connected with mushrooms
Whatever telling the science of fungi, but the person has long been associated with many beliefs and rituals.For example, picking mushrooms, you can not talk loudly or swearing, otherwise they will hide.A huge crop of mushrooms - a grim omen of future disasters.
woman, who saw in a dream mushrooms can be expected addition to the family, and men - to take care of their health by becoming more selective in its relations with the ladies.
Interestingly, some mushrooms, sprouting, form a perfect circle.In the Netherlands and Germany, these mushrooms are not collected, since these "fairy ring" are considered to be an enchanted place, and in Scotland - locations indicating a charm buried treasure.
Separately on white mushrooms
Speaking of mushrooms, white fungus can not ignore.His in Russia has long been considered a delicacy and a king among his own kind.If you do not even mention his taste and aroma, which, incidentally, is retained even after drying, still turns out that the white mushroom - a wonderful gift of nature.
It found antibiotics that kill tubercle bacillus, and antineoplastic agents.People with anemia, as well as inflammatory diseases, white fungus is very useful.And besides, he rebukes the healing process, normalizes thyroid function, improves the condition of nails, hair and skin, and also helps the body recover from infections.Not a mushroom, and the whole pharmacy!
About the shape of mushrooms
You can tell a lot about mushrooms.Boletus edulis, Boletus, boletus and other objects of "quiet hunting" - is, of course, not all the mushroom kingdom.
there in our forests and a lot of mushrooms, with bizarre shapes and colors.For example, a mushroom-rogatik having a bright orange color and resembles sprigs of coral, or reshetochnik red, ripening of white, like the egg, and the body acquires over time, kind of bright red trellis ball.
By the way, this fungus belongs to the mushroom color.Such fungi are especially numerous in tropical forests.They found absolutely unique creation resembling, for example, a glass, like a mushroom from India, or red, armed with tentacles mushroom with Java.But the most bizarre is safe to assume diktiafor campanulate mushroom growing in the forests of South America.It grows in only two hours, and then throws out from under his cap openwork white veil that envelops the snow-white leg and evening glows green mystical color.Local residents, among other things, call it "Lady under the veil."
Amazing mushroom planet "bleeding tooth" and "earthen asterisk»
To understand how unusual these living organisms we describe the most interesting mushroom world.
hydnellum peckii or "Bleeding tooth."This amazing fungus can be seen in the coniferous forests of Central Europe and the north-west coast of the Pacific Ocean.The bright red liquid, which he identifies, really like a drop of blood.In addition, it has a very bitter taste, and this frightens animals and people.
«Ground asterisk."This fungus belongs to the raincoat, which live in all latitudes of the world.Interestingly it the ability to change their appearance, barely emerging from the ground.The rays of the "star" slowly bent down and spherical fruiting body is lifted and "shoots" spores into the air.The Indians believe that fungi are able to predict the future celestial phenomena.
Interesting facts about mushrooms and Plasmodium ezhovike
very interesting Hericium erinaceus, which does not look like a traditional mushroom.Rather, it resembles seaweed, which somehow appeared on the tree, where, incidentally, likes to grow ezhovik.Properly cooked, very tasty mushroom, but in addition, it is able to reduce the level of glucose in the blood and has the ability to protect the body from the toxic effects.
Considering the plasmodium can be found and some more fun facts.About mushrooms can not think that they can move, and it turns out, and this they can do.Plasmodium, of course, not a sprinter, but a few days can climb to the popular among the stump.Like this!Chagall, or rather rolls over this natural wonder in the middle zone of Russia and looks very similar to a jellyfish.
most vibrant and fastest growing fungus
looks very attractive decorated with colorful stripes Trametes versicolor - a common worldwide form of fungus that lives mainly on the trunks of dead trees.Scientists have found that the substance of this fungus boosts immunity, and can be of great assistance in the treatment of cancer, and in Chinese medicine it is used for many centuries.
And here's another interesting about mushrooms: By the way, these organisms can sunbathe.They produce vitamin D, and the color of the cap is largely dependent on how much sunlight their habitats.
in the Guinness Book of Records listed fungus Veselka, which is 2 minutes grows 1 cm. Appearing out of the ground, it looks like a grayish egg, the next day - it's umbrella on a thin stalk, and on the third day of the aboveground part of the fungusdisappears.
Habitats mushrooms where they just do not live!
Mushrooms are amazing and the fact that they can exist in the most unlikely circumstances.They thrive inside mammalian, and in the upper atmosphere at an altitude of about 30 km.Researchers there and this interesting information on mushrooms: they happen to withstand any type of radiation and can develop even sulfuric acid.
and in 2002 the territory of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the destroyed reactor, scientists discovered fungus that radiation was needed for growth as well as light to plants.The structure of these amazing organisms includes incredible amount of melanin, the same substance that protects our skin from ultraviolet radiation.
Interesting about mushrooms - predators
There are also fungi predators, preying on small insects.They have sticky nodules or other devices for hunting.For example, the fungus can throw spores that cling to the body and caterpillars begin to grow into it.The victim, of course, dies.
And all kinds of mushrooms Cordyceps lopsided yet could not figure out.He, incidentally, may even turn into a zombie insect.How he does it, the scientists do not know, but an ant, in the respiratory system which were spores of the fungus, "obediently" goes to a place that is convenient for the further development of the parasite lived in it.Ant is a plant, and taken him by a sheet with the appropriate temperature and humidity, and then glares at him from the back side of the sheet.The fungus kills the ant, germinating in it and escape through the back of his head, throws new disputes killer.
Mushrooms help clean up the planet
We know about poisonous mushrooms, mushrooms of the predators, fungi, parasites, but we should not forget that they can provide invaluable assistance and their amazing ability to live where other organisms are killed.
So, the expedition from Yale University found in the jungles of Ecuador, a new type of fungus (Pestalotiopsis microspora).These organisms feed on polyurethane, and do it even without oxygen.It promises a future prospect of getting rid of the material, which is almost does not decompose, much littering the planet.
In fungi have sex!
course, science is not yet able to say that he knew all about mushrooms.Time and again, researchers make discoveries in mycology.For example, scientists have identified a gene that is responsible for the fungus belonging to the female or male.He, incidentally, is in short DNA sequences that resemble sex chromosomes in humans.
mushrooms turn out to be a very good model for the study of sex differences at the genetic level.
Mushrooms much older than dinosaurs
have mycologists have quite surprising information about mushrooms: as it turned out, they still inhabited the earth 400 million years ago!It turns out that they are older than dinosaurs.It is the most ancient inhabitants of the planet, who lived together with giant ferns and, unlike the latter, do not chop and change and to adjust, keeping its appearance to the present day.
And we are, apparently, to learn about them many more interesting facts.About mushrooms is that too little is known, but it is clear that these organisms are the most detailed and careful study.
