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What are fungi?
Fungi: organisms that are nucleated, achlorophyllous, that absorb nutrients and typically reproduce sexually and asexually by spores, and whose somatic structure is composed of filaments, sometimes branched, which are surrounded by cells walls composed of chitin.
Fungi are organisms that belong to the Fungi Kingdom. Unlike animals and plants, which are fed by ingestion and photosynthesis, fungi nourish themselves through absorption. They reproduce mostly via spores that they shoot into the air. They are able to reproduce either sexually or asexually. There are different kinds of fungi around us. Some are very small (moulds) and others are big (mushrooms). We eat some of them in various forms (mushrooms, bread yeast, cheeses, beer and wine, and others). Millions of spores can be found in the air.
Fungi's main function in the ecosystem is "recycling" organic matter through its decomposition and transformation into inorganic elements which become ready to be reutilized by other organisms.
Another important function is the mycorrhiza that directly benefit several species from the Plant Kingdom.Fungi are used by people as medicines and in therapies against several illnesses, from infections (penicillin) to cancer (shiitake and reishi). People also eat fungi, even though some can be harmful to human health. Fungi can produce a rash on the skin as well as death in some cases, and different cases of mycetisms in between.
For thousands of years in many cultures throughout the world, various organisms of the Fungi Kingdom have been used in traditional ceremonies, either by ingestion to produce hallucinogenic effects and communication with the gods. There is evidence of these ceremonies taking place in both hemispheres as far back as 5 thousand years.
Fungi and their fructiferous bodies are organisms that exist throughout the planet, around us, and which take on some of the most important functions for life in the globe. They are the main decomposers of organic matter.
Fungi in Chile (only in Spanish)
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