20 Weird Facts About Mushrooms That'll Convince You They're From Another Planet
They May Be Earthy But Are They From Earth?
Mushrooms are arguably the weirdest life form on the planet. They're impossible to categorize because they're not like anything else. More than just a delicious ingredient in your risotto, mushrooms can clean up oil spills, rewire your brain, and zombify insects. They have so many delightfully weird characteristics, that we're convinced they're not of this world. To make our case, here are 20 of the wildest facts about mushrooms you will ever hear.
1. They're Neither Part Of The Plant Or Animal Kingdom
Mushrooms aren't classified as plants because they lack chlorophyll and don't photosynthesize. They're attached to the ground and don't ingest food like animals, so they aren't classified as animals either. They're so unique they're in their very own kingdom of fungi.
2. Some Mushrooms Are Carnivorous
Some 200 species of fungi derive most or all of their nutrients from microscopic animals which they can trap and eat. They'll commonly cast adhesive net-like structures to trap their prey.
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3. They Glow In The Dark
Like fireflies, some mushrooms are bioluminescent (light-emitting). This happens because of the specific interaction between their molecules, enzymes, and oxygen which release energy in the form of light when they come in contact.
4. The Largest Living Thing On Earth Is A Mushroom
The world's largest living organism is a honey fungus in Oregon that spans over 3.4 square miles. It's estimated to be around 2,500 years old.
5. Some Mushrooms Can Clean Up Toxic Waste
Because fungi feed themselves by absorbing the things around them, they're used to clean up oil spills, pesticides, and even radioactive waste. The practice of using mushrooms in this way is called mycoremediation and it's been found to be a cheap, effective, and eco-friendly way to remove contaminants.
6. They're More Closely Related To Animals Than To Plants
Mushrooms share a common ancestor with animals. What's more, they have a polymer called chitin in their cell walls which insects and crustaceans also have in their exoskeletons.
7. They Were Once Used To Make Fire
Tinder fungi was used as firestarter by early humans. Ötzi the Iceman, Europe's oldest known natural human mummy, found by archaeologists s 1991, was carrying some when he died approximately 5,000 years ago.
8. Psilocybin Can Reboot The Brain
Psilocybin or magic mushrooms cause hallucinations after ingesting a certain dose. They are being studied as a treatment for depression, PTSD, and addiction because they're thought to rewire brain connections.
9. They Can Create Their Own Wind
Mushrooms can create tiny, localized breezes from water vapor that form on their surface. When the water particles evaporate, they creates cool air currents which the mushroom can harness and use to disperse its spores.
10. Fungi Can Survive In Outer Space
Fungi have been brought to space by humans and have been found to be able to survive on other planets. Because of their ability to break down rock into soil, scientists think they may be useful space pioneers.
11. Chaga Are The World's Greatest Source Of Antioxidants
Any "superfood" you can think of doesn't hold a candle to chaga mushrooms when it comes to antioxidant content. It's considered medicinal by herbalists and is typically grated into fine powder and used to brew a tea-like beverage.
12. Cordyceps Mushrooms Can Turn Insects Into Zombies
Cordyceps are parasitic mushrooms that infect, most commonly, ants. The mushroom which can control its host ant's behavior will force it to leave its nest, and the fruiting body of the Cordyceps will burst out of the ant's head like straight out of the movie Alien.
13. The Smell Of Truffles Mimics Sex Hormones
Truffle mushrooms contain the same compound that is present in the sex hormones of mammals, including pigs and humans. Pigs make such great truffle hunters because they think they smell a mate.
14. Some Mushrooms Can Grow Overnight
Ephemeral fungi are mushrooms that can pop up, mature, and die within 24 hours. However, this is just the portion of the mushroom's life that we can see from above ground: concealed to us is their much longer underground mycelial process.
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15. A Single One Can Produce Billions Of Spores
A single mature portobello mushroom can release up to 20 billion spores into the air per day. They produce such a staggering amount purely to heighten the probability that they'll be able to reproduce.
16. Fungi Can Communicate With Each Other
The underground networks of mycelium communicate in sophisticated ways that scientists are only beginning to understand. Fungi release pheromones and signaling molecules that they send through the soil and within their own structures. They do this to defend themselves, forage, decompose, and reproduce.
17. Mycorrhizal Allow Plants To Talk To Each Other
Mycorrhizal is the symbiotic relationship between fungus and plant roots. Mycorrhizal networks, often referred to as the "Wood Wide Web," transfer nutrients and send distress signals between plants in exchange for some of the plant's nutrients.
18. Some Mushrooms Are Deadly
Though rare, some mushrooms are deadly poisonous to humans if ingested. Many of them resemble edible mushrooms and their toxins can't be killed through cooking or drying. Some of them have no antidote and may require liver transplants.
19. They Breathe Like Animals
Fungi breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide just as animals do. They don't have lungs or gills, but they respire at the cellular level.
20. There's A Mushroom That Looks Like An Alien
If you've never seen the hydnellum peckii mushroom, do an image search of it. It's nicknamed bleeding tooth fungus because it oozes red sap. Just that should be enough to convince you that mushrooms are aliens.
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