In the cycle of substances in nature, the kingdom of mushrooms is not the last place. Many mushrooms have a very useful property - decompose organic compounds in the soil to minerals, which are subsequently absorbed by plants. And the symbiosis (or, as it is also called, mycorrhiza) of plants and fungi is an integral part of the existence of many plants. But what is the significance of mushrooms in human life? And what do these creatures of nature bring to his life?
The role of mushrooms in human life: food
From ancient times, people eat mushrooms as food. Edible in nature - more than 100 species, but is actively used for cooking needs of all countries and peoples - up to forty. As you know, in these creatures there are enough nutrients. There are a lot of proteins in them (by the way, in many types of religious posts they are allowed to be consumed at this time, along with plants). And people living nearby forests or in the taiga have long valued mushrooms as one of the main and inexhaustible sources of protein food. In pre-revolutionary times (and even at the present time) for the villagers it was a good help in feeding the family.
Mushroom breeding
Today, some of the species of the mushroom kingdom are artificially bred by humans, in order to obtain food raw materials, in specially prepared premises for this. Champignons and oyster mushrooms, shitake and honey mushrooms have already become a familiar commodity in supermarket shelves. And people use them with great pleasure, because from mushrooms you can cook more than a dozen delicious and nutritious dishes. And the role of mushrooms in human life - baking, brewery, wine yeast - is well known and invaluable. Kefir and yeast bread with rolls, beer and wine, moldy types of cheese - all these are the vital products of these mushrooms.
Raw materials for medicines
With the development of medicine, another role of fungi in a person’s life is manifested - healing. Even in the Renaissance, the first of the known (before that, perhaps, similar information was transmitted orally) reference books-herbalists appeared, where close attention was also paid to mushrooms as medicines for some diseases. In modern medicine, powerful antibiotics are produced from such mushrooms as aspergillus and penicillin - medicines that can destroy pathogenic bacteria.
In agriculture
Great role of mushrooms in human life in agriculture. Some mold species are involved in the cultivation of other plants (for example, in seedless grape varieties, stimulating the growth of berries) and the control of some agricultural pests - at a biological level.
Harm
But some types of mushrooms are poisonous and can cause harm to humans. For example, if you accidentally eat them. Poisoning can also provoke the use of moldy foods, up to the formation of tumors. And in agriculture, great damage is caused by mushrooms that damage crops - mainly fruit trees and cereals.