Classifying Fungi – Uses

Did you know mushrooms can be used to construct buildings and cure diseases? Mushrooms are being tested in innovative and imaginative ways to help society. Engineers, medical researchers, and designers are utilizing the natural abilities of various fungi for antibiotics, building materials, water filtration, toxic waste cleanup, pest abatement, textiles, and other purposes.

Not all mushrooms can be eaten! The notorious death cap mushroom causes poisonings and deaths around the world. If you were to eat these unassuming greenish mushrooms by mistake, you wouldn’t know your liver is in trouble until several hours later.

A single mould can make tens of thousands of spores capable of growing into new mould, which cannot be seen by the naked eye. But that’s just one of the reasons why mould is so difficult to control.

Despite the name, athlete’s foot can happen to anyone. It is a common fungal infection that most people get from walking barefoot in moist public places, like a swimming pool deck or locker room. Athlete’s foot can result in flaky skin, cracking and itchiness on the soles of the foot and between the toes.

What do athlete’s foot, jock itch, and barber’s itch all have in common? Athlete’s foot is also caused by ringworm, a skin infection caused by a fungus, not a worm! It is very common, and the risk of contracting it increases in hot, humid weather.

The carbon dioxide released by yeast is what allows bread to rise, giving it its characteristic soft and fluffy texture.