The following
outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to
fungi and
mycology:
Fungi – "Fungi" is plural for "fungus". A fungus is any member of the group of
eukaryotic organisms that includes unicellular microorganisms such as
yeasts and
molds, as well as multicellular fungi that produce familiar fruiting forms known as
mushrooms. Biologists classify these organisms as a
kingdom, Fungi, the second highest taxonomic rank of living organism beneath the
Eukaryota domain; other kingdoms include plants, animals, protists, and bacteria. One difference that places fungi in a different kingdom is that their
cell walls contain
chitin, unlike the cell walls of plants, bacteria and some protists. Similar to animals, fungi are
heterotrophs, that is, they acquire their food by absorbing dissolved molecules, typically by secreting
digestive enzymes into their environment. Growth is their means of mobility, except for spores (a few of which are
flagellated), which may travel through air or water. Fungi function as the principal decomposers in
ecological systems.
Lichen – composite organism that arises from
algae or
cyanobacteria living among
filaments of multiple
fungi[1] in a
symbiotic relationship.[2][3] Lichens are classified by the fungal component. Lichen species are given the same scientific name (binomial name) as the fungus species in the lichen. Lichens are being integrated into the classification schemes for fungi.