Mycology branches into the field ofphytopathology, the study of plant diseases. The two disciplines are closely related, because the vast majority of plant pathogens are fungi. A biologist specializing in mycology is called amycologist.
Pier Andrea Saccardo developed a system for classifying theimperfect fungi by spore color and form, which became the primary system used before classification byDNA analysis. He is most famous for hisSylloge Fungorum,[5] which was a comprehensive list of all of thenames that had been used formushrooms.Sylloge is still the only work of this kind that was both comprehensive for thebotanical kingdomFungi and reasonably modern.[6]
Fungi and other organisms traditionally recognized as fungi, such asoomycetes and myxomycetes (slime molds), often are economically and socially important, as somecause diseases of animals (including humans) and of plants.[10]
Apart from pathogenic fungi, many fungal species are very important in controlling the plant diseases caused by different pathogens. For example, species of the filamentous fungal genusTrichoderma are considered one of the most important biological control agents as an alternative to chemical-based products for effective crop disease management.[11]
Field meetings to find interesting species of fungi are known as 'forays', after the first such meeting organized by theWoolhope Naturalists' Field Club in 1868 and entitled "A foray among the funguses [sic]".[12]
Some fungi can cause disease in humans and other animals; the study ofpathogenic fungi that infect animals is referred to asmedical mycology.[13]
It is believed that humans startedcollecting mushrooms as food inprehistoric times. Mushrooms were first written about in the works ofEuripides (480–406 BC). The Greek philosopherTheophrastos ofEresos (371–288 BC) was perhaps the first to try to systematically classify plants; mushrooms were considered to be plants missing certain organs. It was laterPliny the Elder (23–79 AD), who wrote abouttruffles in his encyclopediaNatural History.[14]
Fungi and truffles are neither herbs, nor roots, nor flowers, nor seeds, but merely the superfluous moisture or earth, of trees, or rotten wood, and of other rotting things. This is plain from the fact that all fungi and truffles, especially those that are used for eating, grow most commonly in thundery and wet weather.
TheMiddle Ages saw little advancement in the body of knowledge about fungi. However, the invention of the printing press allowed authors to dispel superstitions and misconceptions about the fungi that had been perpetuated by the classical authors.[16]
The start of the modern age of mycology begins withPier Antonio Micheli's 1737 publication ofNova plantarum genera.[17] Published inFlorence, this seminal work laid the foundations for the systematicclassification of grasses, mosses and fungi. He originated the still current genus namesPolyporus[18] andTuber,[19] both dated 1729 (though the descriptions were later amended as invalid by modern rules).
The foundingnomenclaturistCarl Linnaeus included fungi in hisbinomial naming system in 1753, where each type of organism has a two-word name consisting of agenus andspecies (whereas up to then organisms were often designated with Latin phrases containing many words).[20] He originated the scientific names of numerous well-known mushroomtaxa, such asBoletus[21] andAgaricus,[22] which are still in use today. During this period, fungi were still considered to belong to the plant kingdom, so they were categorized in hisSpecies Plantarum. Linnaeus' fungal taxa were not nearly as comprehensive as his plant taxa, however, grouping together all gilled mushrooms with a stem in genusAgaricus.[23][24] Thousands of gilled species exist, which were later divided into dozens of diverse genera; in its modern usage,Agaricus only refers to mushrooms closely related to the common shop mushroom,Agaricus bisporus.[25] For example, Linnaeus gave the nameAgaricus deliciosus to the saffron milk-cap, but its current name isLactarius deliciosus.[26] On the other hand, the field mushroomAgaricus campestris has kept the same name ever since Linnaeus's publication.[27] The English word "agaric" is still used for any gilled mushroom, which corresponds to Linnaeus's use of the word.[25]
Although mycology was historically considered a branch ofbotany, the 1969 discovery[28] of fungi's closeevolutionary relationship to animals resulted in the study's reclassification as an independent field.[29] The termmycology and the complementary termmycologist are traditionally attributed toM.J. Berkeley in 1836.[30] However,mycologist appeared in writings by English botanistRobert Kaye Greville as early as 1823 in reference toSchweinitz.[31]
Lumber and timber products are a key element ofinternational trade,[32] as they are used for all things fromarchitecture tofirewood. Thecultivation of forestedecosystems to produce this amount of usable wood is highly dependent on themycorrhizal symbiotic relationships between plants, specifically trees, and fungi. The fungi provide a great number of benefits to their symbiotic plant partner, such as disease tolerance, improved growth and mineral nutrition, stress tolerance, and evenfertilizer utilization.[33]
Another major component of international trade over recent years has beenedible andmedicinal mushrooms. While many fungal species can be cultivated in large farming installations, the cultivation of some coveted species has yet to be fully understood, which means that there are many species that can only be found naturally in the wild.[32] While the demand of wild mushroom species has increased worldwide over recent years, the rarity of these species has not changed. Even still,mushroom hunting has become a key factor inlocal economies.[34]
Increased scientific knowledge of fungal diversity has led tobiotechnological advances in foodmanufacturing.[35] Humans have utilized this knowledge by cultivating various types of fungi, particularlyyeasts. There are over 500 species of yeasts that have been cultivated for different purposes, the most common of which isSaccharomyces cerevisiae, also known as baker's yeast. As its common name suggests,S. cerevisiae has been used forwinemaking,baking, andbrewing since ancient times.[2]
Fermentation is one of the earliest forms of food preservation, with the earliest recorded use dating back over 13,000 years ago inIsrael.[36] The cultivation of bacteria and fungi, particularly yeasts, have been used for centuries to increase the storage life ofmeats,vegetables,grains, and other foods.[37] Fermentation also plays a significant role in the production of various food products and alcoholic beverages such asbeer andwine. About 90% of the world's beer production comes fromlager beer and 5% fromale beer, while the rest is from spontaneous fermentation of a variety of yeasts and bacteria.[32] Production of alcoholic beverages play significant roles in the economics of many countries, with beer often being a crucialexport.[32]
Plant pathogenic fungi are a serious threat when it comes to crop availability andfood security. These fungi can infiltrate plants andfood crops, which can cause serious economic issues for agricultural industries in numerous countries.[35] Various plant pathogens can causecash crops to becomeinedible and virtually useless to the farmer that is growing them. This problem has increased over the years as the usage ofmonocultures have become more prevalent: a limited variety of plants in one area can lead to the rapid spread of specificpathogens.[38]Puccinia graminis is a type of stem rust that targetswheat crops worldwide fromAfrica toEurope.[39][40] Another devastating fungal pathogen isSarocladium oryzae, which is a type of sheath rot fungus prevalent inIndia and is a great threat torice cultivation.[41] Historically, one of the more well-known cases of plant-fungal pandemics was the potato blight of Ireland, which was caused by awater mold known asPhytophthora infestans. This event is known as theGreat Famine of Ireland.[42]
For centuries, certain mushrooms have been documented as afolk medicine inChina,Japan, andRussia.[43] Although the use of mushrooms in folk medicine is centered largely on the Asian continent, people in other parts of the world like theMiddle East,Poland, andBelarus have been documented using mushrooms for medicinal purposes.[44]
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^abSage, Harmony (2019).Yeast Fermentation Handbook: Essential Guide and Recipes for Beer and Bread Makers (1st ed.). Callisto Publishing LLC.ISBN9781641526746.
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^Ruano-Rosa, David; Prieto, Pilar; Rincón, Ana María; Gómez-Rodríguez, María Victoria; Valderrama, Raquel; Barroso, Juan Bautista; Mercado-Blanco, Jesús (June 2016). "Fate of Trichoderma harzianum in the olive rhizosphere: time course of the root colonization process and interaction with the fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae".BioControl.61 (3):269–282.Bibcode:2016BioCo..61..269R.doi:10.1007/s10526-015-9706-z.
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^De stirpium maxime earum quae in Germania nostra nascuntur, usitatis nomenclaturis. Strasbourg. InAinsworth 1976, p. 13 quotingBuller AH (1915). "Micheli and the discovery of reproduction in fungi".Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada. 3.9:1–25.
^Whittaker RH (10 January 1969). "New concepts of kingdoms of organisms: evolutionary relations are better represented by new classifications than by the traditional two kingdoms".Science.163 (3863):150–160.doi:10.1126/science.163.3863.150.PMID5762760.
^Greville, Robert Kaye (April 1823). "Observations on a New Genus of Plants, belonging to the Natural Order Gastromyci".The Edinburgh Philosophical Journal.8 (16): 257.
^Fulton, Susanne M. (2011).Mycorrhizal Fungi: Soil, Agriculture and Environmental Implications. Air, Water and Soil Pollution Science and Technology. Hauppauge: Nova Science Publishers, Incorporated.ISBN978-1-61122-659-1.
^Shashkina, M. Ya.; Shashkin, P. N.; Sergeev, A. V. (October 2006). "Chemical and medicobiological properties of chaga (review)".Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal.40 (10):560–568.doi:10.1007/s11094-006-0194-4.
^Hyde, K.D., Baldrian, P., Chen, Y. et al (2024). "Current trends, limitations and future research in the fungi?." Fungal Diversity. 125: 1–71.https://doi.org/10.1007/s13225-023-00532-5
