Fungi- Mushroom | 23 Jul 2024

Source: TP

Recently, a study showed that the ingestion of psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound present in magic mushrooms, results in a temporary reset of extensive neuron networks in the brain responsible for regulating an individual's perception of time and self.

Mushrooms are fungi that typically have a stem, a cap, and gills.
They are classified as fungi because they lack chlorophyll and cannot produce their food through photosynthesis.
- The fungi constitute a unique kingdom of heterotrophic organisms.
- They are a diverse group of eukaryotic microorganisms or macroscopic organisms that belong to their biological kingdom, distinct from plants, animals, and bacteria.
- Except for unicellular yeasts, fungi are filamentous.
- Fungi have beneficial applications such as yeast in baking and brewing, antibiotic production like penicillin, and culinary uses.
- Fungi prefer to grow in warm and humid places.
- Reproduction in fungi can take place by vegetative means (fragmentation, fission and budding), asexual reproduction (by spores) and sexual reproduction.
- Fungi play a crucial role in preserving the equilibrium of our ecosystem through several key functions like Decomposition, Symbiosis, and Soil enrichment.