Mushrooms
Do Mushrooms Need The Same Things
As Plants Do To Grow?
ShaKeela Gary
Honors Biochem. Sims 2nd period
1
Mushrooms
Overview
Hypothesis:
Mushrooms will grow better in fertilized soil and sun.
Organism:
Mushrooms
Independent Variable:
Soil
Dependent Variable:
How many mushrooms sprout.
2
Mushrooms
Research Content
There are over 180 different kinds of mushrooms. The most common mushroom
sold in stores is called the Agaricus Bisporus (button mushroom, Portobello, etc.).
Mushrooms are actually made up mostly of a below-ground structure, called a mycelium,
made up of filaments called hyphae. This mycelium is the actual "body" of the fungus.
Mushrooms are neither plant nor animal and they do not have the chlorophyll that a plant
needs to create its own food.
Classification
Kingdom
Division
Subdivision
Class
Order
Agaricales
Hymenomycetes» Aphyllophorales
Tramellales
Hymenogastrales
Lycoperdales
Basidiomycotina»
Nidulariales
Gasteromycetes»
Phallales
Podaxales
Fungi»
Eumycota»
Tulostomatales
Helotiales
Discomycetes
Ascomycotina
» Pezizales
»
Tuberales
Pyrenomycetes » Cordyceps
3
Mushrooms
Hypomyces
Podostroma
Xylaria & Daldinia
Cell Type, Organization and Body Plan
Mushrooms are multicellular eukaryotes because they have no nucleus. The tissue that
creates the spores of mushrooms is called the hymenium. Mushrooms don’t have organs per say
when I looked it up they referred to the mushroom itself as the fruiting body which is sort of an
organ. Mushrooms are made up of a cap, gills, and a stem. The cap can be shaped differently
depending on the species or the growth. It can be conical, flat or even spherical. The cap can also
be smooth, hairy or carry a scab. The gills are the many skin layers under the cap of the
mushroom. Some mushrooms have pores whichever it may be this is where the spores of the
mushrooms are produced. Some mushrooms do not have a stem. On the stem (of some
mushrooms) is called a veil which protects the gills when they are young. As the stem grows the
veil breaks creating a skirt at the top of them stem and a cup at the bottom of the stem.
Types of Metabolism
Mushrooms do not photosynthesis or respire. Most mushrooms are saprophytes which
mean they obtain their nutrition from metabolizing from non-living, organic matter. So they
break down and eat dead plants.
Reproduction
4
Mushrooms
Mushrooms have both sexual and asexual methods to reproduce. The sexual part happens
above ground when the male and female cells fuse to create spores inside the fruiting body in
which they are dispersed throughout the environment. The asexual part happens when a new
fungus grows straight out of the parent this is called vegetative growth. They also reproduce
asexually when the spores grow on things basically making copies of themselves.
Evolutionary Information
Thelep
horoid
Clade
Polypo
roid
Clade
Hymeno
chaetoid
Clade
Cantha
relloid
Clade
Gomphoi
dPhalloid
Clade
Horaki
a [1]
Lenzito
psis
Lentinu
s [1]
Lenzite Rickenell
s [1]
a [1]
Panus
[1]
Canthar
ellus [1]
Gloeocan
tharellus
[1]
Eugaric
s Clade
Bolete
Clade
Russulo
id
Clade
Gills
Agaricus
[1]
Amanita
[1]
Clitocyb
e [1]
Cortinari
us [1]
Pleurotu
s[1]
Strophar
ia [1]
Tricholo
ma [1]
Chroogo
mphus
[1]
Gomphi
dius [1]
Paxillus
[1]
Phyllop
orus
[1][2]
[3]
Tapinell
a [1]
Lactariu
s [1]
Lentinel
lus [1]
[2]
Russula
[1]
Pores
Dictyopa
nus [1]
Fistulina
[1] [2]
Favolasc
hia [1]
[2] [3]
Poromyc
ena [1]
Boletus
[1]
Gyrodon
[1] [2]
[3]
Leccinu
m [1]
Strobilo
myces
[1]
Suillus
Fomito
psis [1]
Albatrel
Ganode
lus [1]
rma [1]
Bondarz
Laetipo
Boletop
ewia [1]
rus [1]
sis [1]
Heterob
Phaeol
asidion
us [1]
[1]
Polypo
rus [1]
Tyrom
Coltricia
[1] [2]
Inonotus
[1]
Phellinus
[1]
5
Mushrooms
yces
[1]
[1]
Tylopilu
s [1]
Teeth
Deflexul
a [1]
Banker
a [1]
Auriscal
Hydnel
Hydnom pium
lum [1]
erulius
[1]
Phellod
[1]
Hericiu
on [1]
m [1]
Sarcod
on [1]
Clavaria
[1]
Clavulin
Corallo opsis [1]
Macroty
id
phula [1]
Physalac
ria [1]
Chante
relloid
Artomy
ces [1]
Hygroph
Canthare
oropsis
llula [1]
[1]
Climac
odon
[1] [2]
[3] [4]
Irpex
[1] [2]
Hydnoch
aete [1]
Hydnum
Beenakia
[1]
Sistotre [1] [2]
ma [1]
Scytino
pogon
[1]
Sparass Alloclava
is [1]
ria [1]
Clavulin
a [1]
Multicla
vula [1]
Polyoz
ellus
[1]
Faerber
ia [1]
Cotylidia
[2] [3] [1]
[4]
Craterell Gomphus
us [1]
[1]
Parch
ment
Crust
Chondro
stereum
[1]
Conioph
ora [1]
Serpula
[1]
Phlebia
Thelep
[1]
Stereum hora [1]
Hymenoc
Pulcher
Toment
haete [1]
[1]
ricium
ella [1]
[1] [2]
Gaster
oid
Secotio
id
Bovista
[1]
Calvatia
[1]
Crucibul
um [1]
Cyathus
[1]
Lycoper
don [1]
Nivatoga
strium
Astraeus
[1]
Calosto
ma [1]
[2]
Melanog
aster [1]
[2]
Pisolithu
s [1]
Rhizopo
gon [1]
Arcange
liella
[1]
Gymno
myces
[1]
Macow
anites
[1]
Zellero
myces
[1]
Botryob
asidium
[1] [2]
Sistotre
ma [1]
Tulasnel
la [1]
Ramaria
[1] [2]
Clavariad
elphus [1]
Kavinia
[1]
Gautieria
[1]
Geastrum
[1]
Hysteran
gium [1]
[2]
Mutinus
[1] [2]
Phallus
[1] [2]
Sphaerob
6
Mushrooms
[1]
Sclerode
rma [1]
olus [1]
This chart excludes the rust and smut fungi and the traditional gasteromycete. Divided are
all the basidiomycetes into 6 major groups based on the shape of the fruiting body (sporocarp) in
the field. These shapes include mushrooms containing (1) gills, (2) pores, (3) teeth, (4) vase,
parchment or crustlike fruiting bodies, (5) coral-like fungi, and (6) tremelloid or jelly-like
mushrooms.
Interdependence
Mushrooms are decomposers they are placed at the bottom of the food chain. They feed
off dead plants and organisms. They are members of a separate trophic level than other
organisms of the food chain because they are decomposers. Some mushrooms have a symbiotic
relationship with other plants such as a tree giving up some of its glucose to the mushroom and
the mushroom giving the tree some its minerals.
Homeostasis
The Agaricus Bisporus mushroom grows naturally in grasslands, fields and meadows in
North America and Europe or basically anywhere where it can find nutrients to grow. Grasslands
and meadows mostly contain grass and trees. Animals may be birds, coyotes, bobcats, wolfs,
crickets, and beetles.
7
Mushrooms
Independent Variable
My independent variable is the soil that I will use to plant the mushrooms. I will use
unfertilized soil and fertilized soil. I plan on using ordinary plant fertilizer made from fish
emulsion and regular soil from my mom’s garden in my backyard. When I researched this, a
student used ordinary plant fertilizer made from fish emulsion and cow manure for her science
project and the mushrooms planted in the ordinary plant fertilizer grew the best.
Dependent Variable
My dependent variable will be how many mushrooms sprout or how big one mushroom
gets versus the other. I will measure the variable with a ruler in centimeters.
Research Connection
Based on the information that I have found I think that the ordinary plant fertilizer made
from fish emulsion will make the mushrooms grow the best. My answer to my inquiry question
will be no mushrooms don’t need everything that plants need to grow because they are not
plants.
8
Mushrooms
Bibliography
www.allaboutmushrooms.com
www.angelfire.com
www.britannica.com
www.ehow.com
www.gmushrooms.com
www.mssf.com
www.mushroom-appreciation.com
www.mushroom-millers.com
www.mycomasters.com
www.naturegrid.com
9
Mushrooms
Diagram
10