What comes to your mind when you think of fungi? Perhaps the mushrooms you see in your backyards, under fences, beneath trees, or the ones you love eating.

But there is more to these organisms than meet the eye.

A recent report titled "State of the World's Fungi 2018" and released by London's Kew Gardens is a comprehensive assessment of known species of fungi in the world. Through this work, researchers hope to create a deeper insight into these underrated organisms and examine their uses in food, medicine, and plant nutrition. 

Fungi are also gaining attention lately because of their use in dissolving plastics and reducing radioactive waste.

What are Fungi?

Fungi are classified as eukaryotic organisms which means their cells have a clearly defined nucleus containing genetic material and chromosomes. They comprise of mushrooms, mold, and yeast.  

If you thought fungi are plants, think again! They are part of their own kingdom (of the same name) and not the plant kingdom because they lack chlorophyll.

Unlike plants that make their own food through photosynthesis, fungi eat organic matter such as the remains of dead plants and animals. In doing so, they release essential elements like nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen, into the soil and atmosphere.

There are also specific structural characteristics of their cell walls and membranes that differ from those of plants. 

There are about 99,000 species and an estimated 3.8 million fungi found on our planet. But only less than 10% of them are scientifically known. 

Fungi are usually found in earthy and dry or aquatic environments around the world. On land, they can be found in soil that is particularly rich with organic material and moisture, while in water, they are typically found in freshwater habitats. There are rare species of fungi that live in Antarctica and the Arctic, however, and can sustain themselves without nutrient-rich soil.

Not all fungi are visible to the eyes. Microscopic fungi such as yeast play in part in the production of bread and alcoholic beverages. Other microscopic species are used in probiotics and in medicine, as well as a solution for our plastic problem and clearing biowaste. Some species of fungi are also notorious for causing diseases in plants, trees, and animals (including humans). 

A Few Fun Facts

Did you know -

• Kew Gardens in London (who conducted the report) contains 1.25 million specimens of fungi, making the collection the largest in the world
• The largest living thing on Earth is the Armillaria ostoyae, or the appropriately nicknamed Humongous Fungus, found covering about 4 square miles of forest in Oregon
• Even though fungi are not plants, the branch of science that studies them is called mycology and is a branch of botany (the study of plants).
• Penicillin is a life-saving medicine that owes its existence to mold, a type of fungus
• A fungus has been discovered with the capability of breaking down plastics in weeks - a job that would normally take nature hundreds of years

Only a fraction of these fascinating organisms are known to scientists, but with Kew Garden’s new research report, the number of known species will hopefully increase alongside their popularity.

Sources: BBC, NPR, Brittanica, Kew Gardens