The magic of fungi – Quiz

1.  Read the text and answer the questions. 

1. True or False? There are more species of fungi than species of plants in the UK.

True. In the UK, there are thought to be around five or six times more species of fungi than plants.

2. What’s one reason why research into fungi has been held back?

According to Dr Martyn Ainsworth, many fungi can’t be grown in a lab, so it’s harder to study them.

3. What proportion of fungi are poisonous?

According to Dr Jassy Drakulic, only a very small proportion of the thousands of species of fungi in the world can cause disease.

4. Are the ways in which fungi benefit the environment obvious?

No. Fungi are referred to as ‘the hidden helpers of our environment’ and as ‘the behind-the-scenes team that are doing all the work’.

5. True or False? Fungi only provide food for animals.

False. Fungi provide food for wildlife, but they also form a huge underground network that helps nourish trees.

2.  Choose the appropriate words or phrases to complete the following sentences.

1. Until our brothers joined us, our nail salon was a largely female business.

2. Large proportions of the world’s oceans remain unexplored .

3. A higher proportion of men are stay-at-home dads than in the past.

4. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.  

5. It suddenly started raining heavily, but luckily the trees provided some shelter . 

The magic of fungi

Fungi play an important role in ecosystems, are a source of food, and make key contributions to the world of medicine. So, why do we know so little about them?

An estimated two million fungal species – more than 90% of all fungi – have yet to be described by science, according to Rebecca Morelle, science reporter for the BBC. In the UK alone, there are thought to be around 25,000 species of fungi – five or six times more than plants. Scientists are trying to find out more about this largely unexplored world, but it is challenging. Dr Martyn Ainsworth, a senior researcher from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London, says: ‘We can grow a certain number in the lab, but there is a whole host of fungi that we cannot grow in the lab. This has held back a lot of research.’

The fact that we know so little about the world of fungi leads many of us to misunderstand them. ‘A lot of people are afraid of poisonous mushrooms’, says Dr Jassy Drakulic, a plant pathologist, ‘but only a very small proportion of the thousands of species of fungi in the world can cause disease‘. Most are harmless and often beneficial, called by some ‘the hidden helpers of our environment’. Some fungi provide food and shelter for wildlife, help plants absorb water and nutrients and recycle waste and dead matter. Other types of fungi grow on the roots of trees and plants, forming a huge underground network that helps nourish trees. ‘Fungi are really the behind-the-scenes team that are doing all the work’, adds Dr Ainsworth.

So, next time you add mushrooms to your dinner, take a painkiller for a headache, or go for a walk through the woods, remember to thank the living things that made it all possible – fungi.