introduction of mycology

    Introduction of mycology

The term "mycology" is derived from the Greek word "mykes" meaning mushroom. Therefore mycology is the study of fungi. The ability of fungi to invade plant and animal tissue was observed in the early 19th century but the first documented animal infection by any fungus was made by Bassi, who in 1835 studied the muscardine disease of silkworm and proved the that the infection was caused by a fungus Beauveria bassiana. In 1910 Raymond Sabouraud published his book Les Teignes, which was a comprehensive study of dermatophyte fungi. He is also regarded as the father of medical mycology.

Importance of fungi

 Fungi inhabit almost every niche in the environment and humans are exposed to these organisms in various fields of life. Beneficial Effects of Fungi:

1. Decomposition - nutrient and carbon recycling.

2. Biosynthetic factories. The fermentation property is used for the industrial production of alcohols, fats, citric, oxalic and gluconic acids.

3. Important sources of antibiotics, such as Penicillin.

4. Model organisms for biochemical and genetic studies. Eg: Neurospora crassa

5. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is extensively used in recombinant DNA technology, which includes the Hepatitis B Vaccine.

6. Some fungi are edible (mushrooms).

7. Yeasts provide nutritional supplements such as vitamins and cofactors.

8. Penicillium is used to flavor Roquefort and Camembert cheeses.

9. Ergot produced by Claviceps purpurea contains medically important alkaloids that help in inducing uterine contractions, controlling bleeding and treating migraine.

10. Fungi (Leptolegnia caudate and Aphanomyces laevis) are used to trap mosquito larvae in paddy fields and thus help in malaria control.

Harmful Effects of Fungi

1. Destruction of food, lumber, paper, and cloth. 

2. Animal and human diseases, including allergies. 

3. Toxins produced by poisonous mushrooms and within food (Mycetism and Mycotoxicosis).

4. Plant diseases. 

5. Spoilage of agriculture produces such as vegetables and cereals in the godown. 

6. Damage the products such as magnetic tapes and disks, glass lenses, marble statues, bones, and wax.

 General properties of fungi

1. They are eukaryotic; cells contain membrane-bound cell organelles including nuclei, mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes etc. They also exhibit mitosis.

2. Have ergosterols in their membranes and possesses 80S ribosomes.

3. Have a rigid cell wall and are therefore non-motile, a feature that separates them from animals. All fungi possess cell wall made of chitin.

 4. Are chemoheterotrophs (require organic compounds for both carbon and energy sources) and fungi lack chlorophyll and are therefore not autotrophic.

5. Fungi are osmotrophic; they obtain their nutrients by absorption.

6. They obtain nutrients as saprophytes (live off of decaying matter) or as parasites (live off of living matter).

7. All fungi require water and oxygen and there are no obligate anaerobes. 8. Typically reproduce asexually and/or sexually by producing spores.

9. They grow either reproductively by budding or non-reproductively by hyphal tip elongation.

10. Food storage is generally in the form of lipids and glycogen.

Keywords : mycology ,  Microbial anatomy and physiology , Microbial Pathogenesis , Soil Microbiology , Immunology.