The 11 types of mushrooms (and their characteristics)
When we think of living beings, most people tend to think immediately about animals and plants. It is logical because they are two of the types of living beings that we can directly more frequently. But the truth is that the animal and vegetable kingdoms are not the only ones that exist: there are also the monera kingdom (to which the bacteria belong), the protist or protoctist (in which we find diverse protozoa) and the fungi.
In regard to this last kingdom, the first image that usually comes to mind is that of a mushroom, but the truth is that there are a large number of types of mushrooms (not in vain, we are before one of the five large groups of living beings). In this article we will see some of the best known.
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What is a mushroom?
We call mushroom the exponent of one of the five kingdoms of existing living beings , which is characterized by being constituted by eukaryotic cells (that is, they have a nucleus in which the DNA is found) with a cell wall composed mainly of chitin and by its way of feeding, by absorption but heterotrophic.
This last term, heterotrophic, indicates that fungi, like animals, depend on the transformation of external organic matter into energy to survive. In other words, you need to consume material that comes from or belongs to other living beings.
In fact, in this sense the mushrooms they are very important at an ecological level since these beings are considered as one of the main decomposers of dead matter, being their fundamental contribution to the maintenance of the ecosystem.
The mushroom is a truly extensive kingdom, there is a huge variety of species and varieties. It is because of that There are a variety of possible classifications in which they can be divided these forms of life, among which we will see several.
1. Types of fungi according to their basic forms
One of the quickest and easiest classifications to make is linked to the fact that as a general rule we can find three main ways. It is a very simple classification that leaves aside the enormous diversity that we can find, but which is effective. In this sense we can find three great types.
1.1. Mushrooms
It is the most prototypical fungus type for most people. Actually, the term does not refer so much to the whole being but to one of its parts: the most external part, corresponding to its fruition and that usually has the shape of an umbrella or hat .
The rest of the fungus would be underground (or below the surface on which it is growing). Thus, technically we could differentiate between mushroom and fungus in the sense that the mushroom is only a part of a certain type of fungus. It is important to take into account that not all of them are edible , many species can be poisonous and even deadly to us.
1.2. Yeasts
The fungi classified within the group of yeasts are characterized by the way in which they decompose the matter, being this mechanism the fermentation (although not only the fungi can use it).
Carbohydrates and sugars are transformed into other elements, something that the human being has used for millennia in processes such as bread making or baking . They are also characterized by being a type of fungus of unicellular type.
1.3. Mold
Molds are a type of fungus usually of microscopic size that are characterized by having a behavior that is usually destructive, damaging surfaces or living beings. They are usually made up of masses of filaments. But nevertheless This does not mean that they are always negative , since in some cases they have been able to generate medicines (the clearest example being penicillin).
2. Classification according to its effect on the human being
Another simple way to classify fungi has not so much to do with the fungus itself but in the effects that they can have on us or the usefulness that we can give them. Although in this sense the classification is not so much for the entity itself but for its effects, this way of cataloging them can be beneficial in order to be able to separate those that have positive effects like those that have negative effects . Among these types we can find the following.
2.1. Groceries
One of the groups that usually interests the majority of the population is that of edible mushrooms, those that are suitable for human (or animal) consumption. Most of them are very healthy , having few calories and many proteins and vitamins. In fact, some of them are considered delicatessen, as is the case with truffles in this country.
2.2. Toxic
In contrast to the previous one, we can also find different fungi whose properties can deteriorate our health and abilities to a great extent, or even in some cases even cause death. Unfortunately, some of them resemble edible species, which is a huge danger for those people who are not able to recognize them.
2.3. Medicinal
Many mushrooms have different properties that have made them very important for human beings not only because they are edible or not, but because they can produce effects that eliminate or control diseases. This is what happened when Alexander Fleming discovered that Penicillium mold was able to kill bacteria , which allowed penicillin to be synthesized.
2.4. Parasites
Some fungi also have a parasitic behavior, feeding on tissues of living beings.
It is the type of fungus that causes us diseases, often dermatological But they can also occur in other tissues such as the mouth or vagina and even generate severe infections. The fungi of the candid family are an example of this.
Another example is the fungi of the genus cordyceps, some species of which can cause suicidal behavior in insects such as ants (causing them to climb on the leaves of a plant and bite before dying to serve as food and allow diffusion of the spores).
2.5. Hallucinogens or psychoactive
Many mushrooms have been used since ancient times for their ability to generate altered states of consciousness. In some contexts they were used in religious rituals , although at present it is more frequent that the consumption of hallucinogenic mushrooms is done in a recreational context.
But not only that, but in many cases the fungi with these properties are being studied in order to analyze possible uses in the treatment of mental or even organic disorders.
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3. Ecological classification
Another way to classify the various mushrooms is through their way of survival and feeding, their role or role at the ecological level in relation to their relationship with other beings . In this sense we can find three large groups.
3. 1. Saprophytic mushrooms
This type of fungi are characterized by basing their subsistence on the fact of being nourished by the remains of living beings through an external digestion, carried out outside the cells of the fungus. This is one of the most relevant groups when it comes to decomposing the organic matter of cadavers and feces and when allow the soil to remain fertile .
Some of them only receive nutrients in this way, while other fungi only resort to this type of nutrition during a phase of their development.
3.2. Parasitic fungi
As we have seen previously, parasitic fungi are those that they base their subsistence on the dependence of a host or carrier , which can be harmed in lesser or greater way by the existence of its host and for which the existence of the fungus does not suppose any type of advantage.
3.3. Symbiotic mushrooms
This type of fungi are characterized by depending on a subject or entity that hosts them, although the relationship with this is positive and beneficial for both organisms. For example, it is possible that the interaction between both allows the two beings to feed . Within this type of fungi we can find different subtypes.
Perhaps the best known and usual case is that of mycorrhizae, in which a fungus establishes a symbiotic relationship with the roots of a plant. While the fungus is nourished by the carbohydrates and vitamins of the plant, the plant gets this mineral and water.
Another well-known example are Lichens, which are born from the symbiotic interaction between a fungus and an alga . In this relationship, the fungus serves as a protection for the algae that prevents environmental conditions and sunlight from drying the algae, while the latter performs photosynthesis, allowing the fungus to survive thanks to its energy contribution.
