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fungi fun facts
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Mushrooms are neither plant nor animal, they are their own kingdom, the fungi kingdom (includes yeasts, molds, smuts and rusts.)
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Fungi makes blue cheese blue
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The first strain of penicillin (which is a fungus) was isolated in the 1940s from a rotten cantaloupe
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Mushrooms are merely the fruit of a much larger organism. the majority of the organism is known as the mycelium: the vegetative part of a fungus that consists of a mass of branching single-cell strands called hyphae
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15% of all vaccines and therapeutic proteins are made in yeast
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Some fungi are bioluminescent
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The largest living organism in the world covers 2.4 miles and is located in the Blue Mountains of Oregon
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Special type of fungi are used to clean up oil spills and toxic chemicals
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Fungi used to be classified as plants even though they were eventually found to have more in common with animals
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Mushroom tinctures are being tested on honeybees to protect them from a virus-carrying mite.
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Mycelium acts as an underground 'internet' network, passing messages through tree roots to warn about pest, drought and disease
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Mushrooms have been found to commute roughly 50 words.
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Glomalin, a by-product from mycorrhizal fungi, can capture and store carbon in the soil, removing it from the atmosphere. This could help reverse climate change.
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Feeling the urge to scratch your feet? Even if you're someone who takes two showers a day, you might be astonished to discover that the human feet host a whopping 200 different types of fungi. While these fungi can be found throughout our bodies, they have a particular fondness for establishing colonies and thriving in certain areas, with 80 types favoring the heel, 40 types between the toes, and 60 types beneath toenails.
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Mushrooms have been around for a long time; they are one of the oldest living organisms on Earth, with fossil records dating back over 2 billion years.
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The Amanita phalloides, also known as the Death Cap mushroom, is one of the most toxic mushrooms in the world. (WARNING: These mushrooms thrive during the fall so please be mindful of your furry babies when out for a walk. Click this link for the news video.)
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