The Secret Life of Fungi: Ten Fascinating Facts
MIND BLOWING FACTS ABOUT FUNGI
Fungi belong to their own kingdom but are more closely related to animals than plants.
Their cell walls contain chemicals similar to those found in lobsters and crabs.
A groundbreaking fungus can break down plastics in weeks, not years.
Evidence suggests yeasts were used to make mead over 9,000 years ago.
At least 350 fungi species are edible, including truffles (worth thousands of dollars), quorn, and those used in marmite and cheese.
Fungi-derived itaconic acid is used to create products like plastic car parts, synthetic rubber, and LEGO.
216 fungi species are thought to have hallucinogenic properties.
They’re being used to convert crop waste into bioethanol for sustainable energy.
Fungi-based materials are replacing polystyrene foam, leather, and even building materials.
DNA studies reveal thousands of unknown fungi species—hidden “dark taxa”—in a single soil sample.
Over 2,000 new fungi species are discovered every year, even in unexpected places—like a human fingernail!
The global edible mushroom market is booming, valued at a whopping £32.5 billion annually, with hundreds of fungi species enjoyed as food.
Despite their importance, only 56 fungi species have been assessed for the IUCN Red List, compared to 25,000 plants and 68,000 animals, highlighting a massive knowledge gap.
Some fungi, like rust fungi (Gymnosporangium), can have complex life cycles and significant impacts on plants, from beauty to devastation.
Fungi continue to amaze, from their economic value to their hidden mysteries waiting to be explored!
'World's oldest fungus' raises evolution questions
Fungus-like life forms have been found in rocks dating back 2.4 billion years.
The fossils, drilled from rocks once beneath the seafloor, resemble living fungi.
Scientists say the discovery could push back the date for the oldest fungi by one to two billion years.
The findings suggest that fungi arose not on land but in the deep sea. If not a fungus, the organism could be from an extinct branch of life that has not been described before.
Prof Stefan Bengtson of the Swedish Museum of Natural History led the research team.
He said, in the past, scientists may have been looking in the wrong place for the oldest fossil fungi - on land or in shallow seas rather than in the deep sea.
"The deep biosphere (where the fossils were found) represents a significant portion of the Earth, but we know very little about its biology and even less about its evolutionary history," Prof Bengtson told BBC News.
The fossils are almost indistinguishable from those found in similar environments on land, although they are much older.
They are made up of jumbles of tangled threads some hundredths of a millimetre thick. Scientists have already discovered such structures - known as mycelia - in similar rocks of a much younger age and identified them as fungi.
There is a "clear possibility" that they are the world's oldest fossil fungi - twice as old as generally accepted in the fossil record, Prof Bengtson said.
HEROES:
Fungi: The Hidden Heroes of Earth
Fungi are everywhere—hidden in soil, air, and even our bodies—but they’re so small we often overlook them. While they provide essential medicines (like antibiotics) and delicious food (hello, mushrooms!), they can also cause diseases in plants and animals.
Here’s why fungi are game-changers:
Essential to life: Fungi play a critical role in Earth's ecosystems, breaking down organic matter and supporting plant growth.
Mysterious world: Of the estimated 3.8 million fungal species on Earth, over 90% are still unknown to science.
Bizarre yet vital: With strange life cycles and unique behaviours, fungi are key to understanding how life on Earth thrives.
As Prof. Kathy Willis from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, states "Fungi are weird, wonderful, and the backbone of Earth’s ecosystems."
Let’s start appreciating these hidden heroes that make life as we know it possible.
Fungi are more than just the mushrooms on your plate or the mould that gave us penicillin—they’re essential to life on Earth. They help plants absorb water and nutrients from the soil, and their contributions extend to life-saving medicines like those that lower cholesterol or make organ transplants possible.
But fungi aren’t just helpers. They show potential for solving big environmental challenges, like breaking down plastics and creating sustainable biofuels. On the flip side, they can also be destructive, damaging trees, crops, and plants worldwide, and even driving animals like amphibians to the brink of extinction.
Fungi are a fascinating mix of life-givers and game-changers, balancing promise and peril in the natural world.