Amakhowe (lat. Fungi noma i-Mycota) awumbuso wemvelo ephilayo ohlanganisa izinto eziphilayo ze-eukaryotic ezihlanganisa ezinye zezici zazo zombili izitshalo nezilwane. Amakhowe afundwa yisayensi ye-mycology, ethathwa njengegatsha le-botany, njengoba amakhowe ngaphambilini ayehlukaniswa njengengxenye yombuso wezitshalo.
Umqondo wamakhowe njengombuso ohlukile wamiswa kwezesayensi ngeminyaka yawo-1960, nakuba u-E. Fries ahlongoza ukuhlukanisa lo mbuso ngo-1831, futhi uCarl Linnaeus wazwakalisa ukungabaza lapho ebeka amakhowe embusweni wezitshalo “kuSystem of Nature” yakhe. Engxenyeni yesibili yekhulu lama-20, umqondo wesikhunta se-polyphyletic ekugcineni wasungulwa.Ekupheleni kwekhulu lama-20, idatha yezakhi zofuzo, i-cytology kanye ne-biochemistry yayiqoqwe, okwenza kube lula ukuhlukanisa leli qembu lezinto eziphilayo zibe amagatsha amaningana angahlobene futhi lisabalalise phakathi kwemibuso ehlukene, kusale eyodwa kuphela embusweni "wangempela", noma amakhowe ngokwawo. Ngakho, ekuqaleni kwekhulu lama-21, igama lesayensi elithi “amakhowe” lase lingaqondakali.
Ngomqondo omncane, ngokombono we-biological systematics, amakhowe ayi-taxton, omunye wemibuso yemvelo ephilayo. Ngomqondo omdala, obanzi, leli gama lilahlekelwe incazelo ye-taxon futhi lisho iqembu le-ecological-trophic elihlanganisa i-heterotrophic eukaryote nohlobo lwe-osmotrophic lokudla okunomsoco. I-Mycology ngokwesiko iyaqhubeka nokufunda ngezidalwa ezinjalo.
Ukuhlukahluka kwebhayoloji kanye nemvelo kwamakhowe kukhulu kakhulu. Leli elinye lamaqembu amakhulu kakhulu futhi ahlukahlukene kakhulu ezinto eziphilayo, eseziyingxenye ebalulekile yazo zonke izinto eziphilayo zasemanzini nezasemhlabeni.
