TECHNICAL
SHEET OF
POPULAR
SCIENCE
Introduction to the
mushrooms
T E C H N I C A L
PO INTS
OF INTEREST:
Introduction to the
mushrooms
What is a
mushroom?
Diversity
of mushrooms
Importance of
mushrooms
Conclusions.
S H E E T
N º 2
A U G U S T - D E C E M B E R
2 0 1 2
1. Introduction
The humans, trough their
history, always have tried
to know how to distinguish
organisms by their utility,
damage and for setting
systems that allow identify
them. The first philosophers made several classification systems, for example Aristoteles (384-322 a.
C.) classified all the organisms in three kingdoms:
mineral, vegetal and ani-
mal, based in differences
and similarities observables.
The branch of biology that
study the principles, systems and purposes of classification is the Taxonomy.
T he mycology (Gr .
Mykes= seta + logos=
study), etymologically, is
the study of setas. Actually, mycology started a
long time ago, because the
setas are part of the biggest mushrooms , which
attracted the attention of
naturalists before the invention of microscopes by
Van Leeuwenhoek in the
century XVII, starting the
systematic study of mushrooms.
2. What is a mushroom?
Nowadays, biologists use with others organic comthe concept mushroom plex molecules. This
(fungus=seta from
gr.
Sphongus=
sponge) to name
eukaryotic organisms, carriers of
spores,
without
chlorophyll, with
asexual and sexual
reproduction, and
whose somatic,
(lacartilladigital.blogspot.com)
ramified and filamentous structures are sur- means, that mushrooms
rounded by cellular walls have true nuclei typical of
composed of chitin or cel- cell that reproduce by
lulose, or both substances spores and lack of chloro-
phyll. The most of the
mushrooms have a sexual
mechanism. Also, there
are some organisms
that mycologists have
studied accidentally,
which probability are
not mushrooms. We
made reference to the
slime molds or myxomycetes, which are
cellular and plasmodial. The mixomycetes
are similar to mushrooms
in many aspects, for that
reason are studied by mycologists.
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3. Diversity of mushrooms
Mushrooms are a group
of live organisms without
chlor ophyll.
They
are
similar
to
simple plants
because in a
few
exceptions
have
cellular walls
defined and
don’t
have
movement,
although,
Morphology of a mushroom
their repro(hongossenacaldas.blogspot.com)
ductive cell
are mobiles and their reproduction is by spores.
The classification of
mushrooms have many
complications
which
difficult the understanding , however, taxonomy
has a double purpose,
first, to name organisms
with a minimum of confusion, and the second
purpose is express the
actual concepts about the
relations of mushrooms
between themselves and
with others live organisms. Paleontological
studies indicate that
mushrooms are a very
ancient group that probably dates back to the Precambrian. The taxonomic
groups used in the classification of mushrooms are: superkingdom, kingdom, division, class, order, family,
genus and species. We must
remember that not all mycologist are agree with this
clasification, having a dispute of taxa, based on division, subdivision, class and
subclass, mentioning the
three divisions which host
the mushrooms, kingdom of
Micetes (mushrooms) Myxomycota Division , Eumycota
Division, Lichenes Division.
4. Importance of mushrooms
Mushrooms are widely
distributed
throughout
the earth’s
biosp her e,
and
they
live
in
places with
abunda nt
organic material, water
and with a
temperature
Life cycle of a mushroom
between
(reishi.setamed.com)
four
and
sixty degrees Celsius.
INT RODUCT ION
T O
T HE
The mushrooms, biologically, are important because they have the function of degrade and disintegrate organic material
(food, material excreted
by others organisms,
plants, mushrooms and
dead animals).
They
transform the molecules
of organic material in
gases and mineral salts,
which are discarded to
the environment and used
by autotrophs organisms
in their photosynthetic
MUSHROOMS
process as a source of
feeding and respiration
of most of organisms. In
this way, they contribute
to maintain the cycle of
material in the biosphere
and the dynamic balance
of nature.
Regarding their economic importance, we
will examine three
branches:
T ECHNICA L
SHEET
Nº2
Medical.
Where penicillium is used
for production of penicillin,
antibiotic used to fight infections.
Industrial.
Yeasts are used in making
wine; beer and bread, some
species of Penicillium are
used for make Roquefort
cheese.
Food.
There are many edible
mushrooms in which the
champignon and setas are
notables, in addiction there
are others wild mushrooms
as huitlacoche or corn smut,
etc.
Surely, from the earliest
times the man met the fruiting bodies of higher mushrooms and they probably
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were used for food and
medicine, as producing of
wine, beer and other
drinks, and for baking intervening microscopic
fungi. In agricultural lands
play a critical role for the
benefit of cultivated plants
as soil fertility, also, mushrooms play an important
role in the ecological balance of nature as symbionts and as abundant and
nutritious food, in this way
is sold with them as profit.
Finally, mushrooms are
very important because present biochemical investigations, cytologica l,
physiological
and genetic
field inside,
and can reproduce with
little expenditure of equipment
and
space
for
their produc- Medicinal mushroom Penicillium
tion.
(www.ciriscience.org)
Mushroom for food
(www.amanitacesarea.com)
Mushroom for industrial use
(cienciasculinarias.blogspot.com)
5. Conclusions
Fungi are an important part
for the biosphere; because as
all living organisms within it,
have their ecological function that allows the balance
with other organisms.
Mushrooms, through the
time, have been unappreciated, forgotten and not very
investigated.
The most of the mushrooms
are not harmful to humans,
but there are mushrooms
which are able to produce
toxins in food. The high
pathogenicity of the mushrooms is found in vegetables
because they are more susceptible to the mushrooms.
(www.hierbasyplantasmedicinales.com)
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6. References.
i.
Tovar JA, Valenzuela R (2006) Los hongos del Parque Nacional Desierto de los Leones. En Tovar JA,
Valenzuela R (Eds.) Los Hongos del Parque Nacional Desierto de los Leones. Gobierno del Distrito
Federal/Secretaría del Medio Ambiente/ Parque Nacional Desierto de los Leones. México, DF, México. pp. 37-82
ii. Herrera Teófilo, et.al, 1998, El reino de los hongos micología básica y aplicada, Editorial fondo de
cultura económica, segunda edición UNAM, Pag: 25-36.
iii. García de la Rosa, J. 1990. Hongos del Suelo: ¿Patógenos o Saprófitos? División Agrícola. Pfizer,
México
iv. C. J. Alexopoulos & C. W. Mims (1985) Introducción a la Micología, Ediciones Omega, Barcelona,
638 pp., ISBN 84-282-0747-X
v. González, R., y Guzmán, G. 1976. Estudios sobre los Líquenes de México, III. Boletín de la Sociedad
Mexicana de Micología. 10, 27-64.
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