Fungi is the plural of fungus, which is any member of the group of organisms classified as eukaryotic, just like we have Animalia, Plantae, Protista or Protozoa, and Chromista, fungi belong to the Eukaryotic kingdom.
Fungi are a diverse group of eukaryotic organisms that include microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as, the more familiar mushrooms. In the context of this blog, we are referring to fungi for human consumption, unless noted otherwise.
“They have long been used as a direct source of human food, in the form of mushrooms and truffles; as a leavening agent for bread; and in the fermentation of various food products, such as wine, beer, and soy sauce. Since the 1940s, fungi have been used for the production of antibiotics, and, more recently, various enzymes produced by fungi are used industrially and in detergents.” (Wikipedia, 2024)
Mushrooms have been used by humans for thousands of years due to the reproductive structures of certain fungi often visible above ground. Humans have used various forms of fungi in the form of food preparation or preservation as well as for medicinal purposes. Recently, pharmaceutical labs developed genetically engineered fungi, enabling fast growth of large fermentation vessels and therefore supporting more efficient research in the fields of molecular biotechnology.
There is speculation that “fungi-based industries are sometimes considered to be a major part of a growing bioeconomy… and general fungal biotechnology.”
Sources
Gemini AI, a digital mind and language model, offered this explanation.
Wikipedia. (22 Nov 2024). Fungus. The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungus
