Article
Article
Mushroom
Article By:
MartÃnez-Carrera, D. Mushroom Biotechnology Department, College of Postgraduates in Agricultural Sciences, Puebla, Mexico.
Last reviewed:June 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.440400
Show previous versions
- Mushroom, published June 2014:Download PDF
Get Adobe Acrobat Reader
A macroscopic fungus with a fruiting body. It has been estimated that 1.5 million to 5 million species of fungi exist on Earth. Yet, only about 150,000 species have been described to date. Approximately 50,000 fungal species are considered mushrooms, with only about 15,000 being described (Fig. 1). Mushrooms grow aboveground or underground. They have a fleshy or nonfleshy texture. Many mushrooms are edible, and only a very small percentage are poisonous. The study of all organisms of the fungal lineage, including mushrooms, is termed mycology. See also: Fungi; Mycology
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
