Club+Fungi


 * Club Fungi** ( also known as phylum Basidiomycota ) gets its name from a specialized reproductive structure that resembles a club. This structure, which contains spores, is called basidium. Basidia are on the gills that grow on the underside of the caps of mushrooms.

When the right mix of moisture and nutrients occurs, spore-producing bodies push above the ground. Each shroom begins a mass of growing hyphae. Fruiting bodies grows with amazing speed, sometimes producing mature mushrooms overnight. This growth is caused by cell enlargement not cell division. The cells of the hyphae enlarge by rapidly taking in water. When the mushroom cap opens, it exposes hundreds of tiny gills lined with basidia. In each basidium, two nuclei fuse to form a diploid zygote cell, which goes through meiosis, forming clusters of haploid basidiospheres. A single mushroom can produce uo to billions of spores. In addition to shrooms, basidiomycetes include shelf fungi which grow near dead or decaying trees. The visible bracketlike structure that forms is a reproductive structure and it produces spores as well.
 * Basidiomycetes** go through the most elaborate life cycle of all the fungi. After a while, the mycelia of diverse mating types combine to produce a secondary mycelium. The cells of the secondary mycelium have haploid nuclei from each mating type. Secondary mycelium can grow in the soil for years, reaching huge sizes.

Many types of fungi have been considered delicacies and many species are cultivated for food. However, wild mushrooms are a different story, as many are found to be poisonous. The act of eating poisonous mushrooms can lead to severe illness, or even death.