Mothering Earth - 73 - Fungi

Fungi are fascinating organisms that come in many forms and sizes, from almost invisible to the naked eye, to giant mushrooms. Scientifically speaking, fungi are a kingdom of spore-producing organisms that include mushrooms, yeasts and molds. They are different from other living things in that their cell walls are made of a compound called “chitin”. We eat fungi, which we call mushrooms. Fungi are important decomposers of dead plant material. Fungi known as mycorrhizae live in soil and are essential for plants because they help plants absorb soil nutrients. In this program, we peer into the world of fungi with Phillip Balke, President of the Central Texas Mycological Society.