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The fascinating Fungi Kingdom

Mold, mildew, yeast, mushrooms, and lichens
February 19, 2003

Molds and their relatives are part of an intriguing Kingdom. If you're a baby boomer like me, you probably studied in school about the Two Kingdoms of Life: Plant and Animal. Mold was classified in the Plant Kingdom.

In 1978 a new classification system was introduced. It included Five Kingdoms of Life:

• Monera - bacteria and blue-green algae.
• Protista - one-celled organisms like algae (except blue green), the amoeba, also seaweed and kelp.
• Plantae - plants.
• Animalia - animals.
• Fungi - Fungi rules it's own mysterious Kingdom. From morel mushrooms and truffles to powdery mildew; from single celled yeast to coral mushrooms, fungi are fascinating.

Fungi is a classification of organisms including mold, yeast, mildew, mushrooms, and lichens. A single species is called a fungus. The terms "fungus," "mold," and "yeast" are often used interchangeably by the medical community, as are "mold," and "mildew" in the home environment.

In humans, fungi can cause athletes foot, ringworm, Canidiasis (yeast infections and thrush), and chronic fungal sinusitis. Histoplasmosis and aspergillosis are fungal diseases that affect the lungs. Animals as well as fish and fowls can be stricken with fungal disease.

Plant diseases caused by fungi include mildew, blight, Dutch elm disease, brown rot, smuts, and rusts.

Fungi secrete digestive enzymes that digest the food they are growing on, then they are able to absorb the food through their cell walls. This accounts for the damage or breakdown they cause to material on which they grow.

Lichens are especially interesting. They are formed by a union between fungi and algae. Though both fungi and algae thrive best alone, under certain conditions they fail to thrive, and need each other.

One theory is that, when they join, the fungi breaks down the material on which it grows to absorb minerals and water. It feeds this to the algae which turns the minerals and water back into nutrients and feeds it to the fungus.

Lichens are often seen growing on bare rocks or tree bark.

Special Note:
Much of the research in this field focuses on an evolutionary theory of one-celled life evolving into life as we know it today.

I'm fascinated by nature. Our world has it's own built-in ecological system, and mold is a big part of that system. Even our bodies are put together in a marvelous way so that every little microscopic movement complements the entire body.

Much has changed since all this was created perfectly. But I still wonder at our world even though it has been blighted from the original. I simply do not have the faith to believe that such a magnificent system that still functions with so much beauty and order, in spite of all the abuse we've heaped upon it, could have evolved accidentally.

AllergyNursing.com believes that God created the earth and all life therein in it's original form. I believe that human life is the crown of all God created.

Disclaimer:
Recently there has been discussion of replacing the "Five Kingdoms of Life" with "Three Domains of Life." There may be other classifications as well. But the "Five Kingdoms of Life" are still widely accepted by educators at this writing.

Though I don't claim expertise in biological sciences, I've researched this item, and I've provided documentation below. I've selected reputable educational and governmental resources to glean information from and cite below. As you know, my expertise is in the medical field.

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References:

1. Introduction to Lichens Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkley.
2. Fungi: mushrooms, morels, truffles, mold, mildew, yeast Blinn College, Ellen Ott-Reeves, Division of Natural Sciences, Brenham, Washington County, Texas.
3. Wildlife of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife programs, Government of Canada.
4. The classification of living things David Krupp, Assoc. Professor, Department of Natural Sciences, Winword Community College, University of Hawaii, September 12, 2001.
5. The three domains of life National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States Government, October 26, 2001.

Links Updated 5/28/04

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