Fungi
The primary objective of this Pari talks blogspot.com is to draw out a smile from serious minded science lovers, and no foul language is used.
L'objectif principal de ce blog Pari Talks blodpsot.com est de tirer un sourire des amateus de science serie'ux, acun langage grossier n'est utilise'.
PKGhatak, MD
No.15
Fungi are neither plants nor animals; they are of their own species.
Fungi appeared on this Earth about 1.5 billion years ago and plants appeared 700 million years ago. Fungi are mostly multicellular, but yeasts are unicellular fungi.
The key chemical signature of fungi is the presence of Chitin and Glucans. Chitin and glucans are complex carbohydrate molecules, present in the fungal walls and provide structural integrity to the skeleton of fungi.
We tend not to notice the fungi around us. When a mold forms on a piece of bread, or when we develop athlete's foot, we admit fungi are all around us. In the US, Valley Fever is an example of a systemic disease caused by inhalation of fungus spores, sickening a healthy person and it can turn into a serious health problem. People with a weakened immune system, following cancer therapy or bone marrow transplant, are more likely to develop a systemic fungal infection.
Experts think that the warming of the environment is producing mutations in fungi, which is the prime reason for the increased incidence of systemic fungal infection in hospitalized patients across the globe. Candida auris infection, a new mutant, resistant to antifungal drugs, played havoc during COVID-19 and is still a concern. Many other fungal species are also mutating in the same line as C. aurius.
The bat population in North America is in a stage of being completely wiped out by a mutant fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, producing White-Nose Syndrome, at the same time, European bats remained healthy because that mutant fungus has not reached Europe.
Do not think fungi are not doing any good to human society, they are recycling the fallen trees and dead wood, and vegetation. Agriculture greatly depends on fungi, which enrich the soil by natural processes and restore soil fertility.
Alexander Flamming discovered Penicillin, the first antibiotic, from a mold that grew on a forgotten petri dish. Soon, Cephalosporins were discovered from various other soil fungi, but similar sounding Streptomycin and Tetracyclines come from bacteria and not from fungi. Grisofulvin is an antifungal antibiotic obtained from Penicillium species, a fungus. And not to dismiss the contribution of this tiny unicellular fungus, the Yeast, carrying the heavy brewing and baking industries for centuries without a break, not even a single day.
The Mushroom Odyssey:
The mushrooms are fungi fruiting bodies resembling an open umbrella. Mushroom, upon reaching maturity, releases spores for propagation of the species. In Biology, the spore-bearing part of the fungal body is called the Basidiocarp. Not all fungi produce mushrooms. The French word mousse (moss) is the origin of the English word, mushroom.
Truffles are fungi that grow underground and are the most expensive food by unit weight. Mushroom connoisseurs can tell a lot more about other fellow Royals like Morel, Shetski, Chantelle, Procini, Potoballo, Oyster, and Loins Main of their favor, texture, and taste.
Kenneth Square in Pennsylvania (PA) is the mushroom capital of the world. Abundant coal mines in PA are used for cultivating Button White mushroom, which is most abundant among cultivated mushrooms.
The earliest known use of psychedelic mushrooms for their psychoactive effects is by the Aztecs, Maya, and ancient civilizations in North Africa and Spain.
Accidental poisoning by consuming poisonous mushrooms happens occasionally among those seeking psychedelic kicks or a source of nutritional food.
Who does not remember Timothy Leary ! His name is synonymous with LSD. LSD is derived from a fungus, Claviceps purpurea, which grows on wheat, rye, barley, and oats.
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