Mar 28, 2025 · Fungus, any of about 144,000 known species of organisms of the kingdom Fungi, including yeasts, mildews, molds, and mushrooms. Fungi are some of the most widely distributed organisms on Earth and are of great environmental and medical importance. Learn more about their life cycles, evolution, taxonomy, and features.

Mar 28, 2025 · Fungus - Reproduction, Nutrition, Decomposition: The mushrooms, because of their size, are easily seen in fields and forests and consequently were the only fungi known before the invention of the microscope in the 17th century. The microscope made it possible to recognize and identify the great variety of fungal species living on dead or live organic matter.

Mar 28, 2025 · The fungus kingdom contains more than 99,000 known species distributed throughout the world. Fungi are extremely diverse, ranging from mushrooms to yeasts, and the taxonomy of the group is contentious. The following is a partial taxonomic list of

Mar 28, 2025 · Mushroom, the conspicuous umbrella-shaped fruiting body (sporophore) of certain fungi, typically of the order Agaricales in the phylum Basidiomycota but also of some other groups. Popularly, the term mushroom is used to identify the edible sporophores; the term toadstool is often reserved for inedible sporophores.

Mar 19, 2025 · whale shark, (Rhincodon typus), gigantic but harmless shark (family Rhincodontidae) that is the largest living fish.Whale sharks are found in marine environments worldwide but mainly in tropical oceans.They make up the only species of the genus Rhincodon and are classified within the order Orectolobiformes, a group containing the carpet sharks. ...

Feb 5, 2025 · Yeast, any of about 1,500 species of single-celled fungi, several of which are of economic importance or are pathogenic. Yeasts are found worldwide in soils and on plant surfaces and are especially abundant in sugary mediums, such as flower nectar and fruits.