Agree, when it comes to mushrooms, everyone represents a hat on a small leg. But actually it is only a fruiting body. The mushroom itself is a collection of hyphae. Most often they are underground, therefore invisible. What are gifs and what are the basic principles of their life? This and other questions will be answered by our article.
General Description of the Kingdom of Mushrooms
Representatives of the Kingdom of Mushrooms are amazing organisms. In taxonomy, they occupy an intermediate position between plants and animals, since they combine structural features of both of them. They are only capable of heterotrophic nutrition, do not contain chlorophyll, produce urea during metabolism, store glycogen. These are signs of their resemblance to animals. And like plants, mushrooms lead an attached lifestyle, grow indefinitely, have a cell wall and multiply by spores.
What are gifs
The body of the mushroom is called mycelium. It consists of individual threads - hyphae. Most often, the mycelium is also called mycelium, which may differ in its structure. What are mold fungal hyphae ? In mucor, this is the only cell that is capable of spore formation. Penicillar hyphae are numerous. On their tops, peculiar brushes with spores form over time. In the form of a bluish-green coating, they form on the surface of food products. Another representative of this systematic unit is yeast. They do not form hyphae and true mycelium, multiplying by budding.
Mushroom variety
The most developed hyphae in mushrooms, which are called cap mushrooms. On the surface of the soil, they form large fruiting bodies, which a person eats. These are derivatives of mycelium hyphae located underground. In the fruiting body they are very closely intertwined and form a false tissue called pseudoparenchyma. Gifs not only represent the basis of fungi, but also perform the functions of the root of plants. They absorb water with nutrients dissolved in it, providing the body with the mineral elements necessary for growth and development.
The structure of lichens
Mushrooms are part of some organisms. One of them is lichens. They are formed by fungal hyphae and blue-green algae cells . On the surface, the threads are most closely intertwined and form a protective crust. It contains many types of pigments that color the lichen shale in different colors. At first glance, it may seem that the fungus and algae in the body exist mutually beneficial. But numerous experiments have shown that this is not so. Scientists have separated both components. And it turned out that the algae is able to live independently, and the fungus hyphae die. This means that lichen is an example of a parasitic existence. The fungus in it lives off of algae, which synthesizes organic matter during photosynthesis.
Mycorrhiza
Another type of cohabitation of fungal hyphae is mycorrhiza. This time their “neighbor” is the roots of higher plants. This is a typical example of a mutually beneficial relationship. The mushroom is provided with carbohydrates, and the plant is provided with minerals and trace elements. Such symbioses in nature are quite common. In this case, fungal hyphae play the role of root hairs, penetrating into individual cells. Typical examples of plants that come into symbiosis with fungi and are called mycotrophs are aspen and birch.
We hope that now everyone has figured out the question of what gifs are. These are separate threads that form the mycelium and fruiting bodies. Hyphae can also enter into various types of relationships with algae and higher plants. Their main function is the absorption of water and minerals.