Mushrooms are divided into four groups according to gastronomic characteristics. This classification is widely known and convenient for distinguishing between dangerous and harmless species for human health.

Group edible mushrooms combines species that do not need pre-treatment before eating. They can only be cleaned of dirt and coarsened tissues and doused with boiling water.

All these mushrooms are divided into four subgroups, taking into account nutritional value and taste qualities.

The first subgroup includes real milk mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, mushrooms.

To the second - boletus, champignons, boletus, boletus, etc.

To the third - morels, autumn mushrooms, chanterelles, mossiness mushrooms. To the fourth - dung beetles, oyster mushrooms, rows, talkers. Such a division into subgroups of more or less valuable mushrooms is conditional and different countries is different. So, in Russia, the real mushroom is classified as a subgroup of the most nutritious and tasty mushrooms, and in a number of European countries this species is generally recognized as inedible. But oyster mushroom, on the contrary, is very much appreciated in Europe, unlike the CIS countries.

To conditionally edible mushrooms attributed those species that contain poisonous components in the fruiting bodies, bitterness, which can dissolve in water during cooking, and are also often inactivated during prolonged drying. This group combines almost all types of morels, milkers, milk mushrooms. After such mushrooms are boiled, the water must be drained.

Mushrooms from the group inedible do not contain poisons, but are not suitable for human consumption, as they have a bitter taste or an unpleasant odor, or are excessively hard. These phenomena are not eliminated even with culinary processing, as in the gall fungus.

The fourth group is poisonous mushrooms. The fruiting bodies of such mushrooms include poisons and toxins that provoke poisoning in humans. So, when eating lines, severe poisoning is manifested by disorders of the central nervous system with the development of convulsions, delirium, as well as shortness of breath, jaundice. Probable death.

Less dangerous are mushroom poisonings with a local stimulating effect, manifested by mild disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. They can be caused by rows, some types of champignons, milkers, russula.

Mushrooms that affect the human nerve centers, due to the content of the alkaloid muscarine, include fly agaric. When they are used, hallucinations, impaired behavior, vision, and even death occur.

The most dangerous are such deadly poisonous mushrooms as smelly fly agaric, pale grebe, false mushrooms, lepiota.

The vital activity of fungi in nature proceeds under the influence of many factors. environment, which are especially diverse on land, where most modern species live. it chemical composition substrate, air humidity and temperature, concentration of carbon dioxide and oxygen in it, precipitation, wind speed, solar radiation intensity, interaction with other living organisms, anthropogenic impacts.

Heterotrophs and saprotrophs

Mushrooms differ greatly in their ability to absorb various organic compounds. Some can consume only simple carbohydrates, alcohols, organic acids (sugar mushrooms), others are able to secrete hydrolytic enzymes that decompose starch, proteins, cellulose, chitin and grow on substrates containing these substances.

Among saprotrophs, highly specialized groups are sometimes found. An example is keratinophils, which decompose the stable animal protein keratin and grow on tissues containing it (horns, hooves, hair). Such mushrooms have avoided competition with other fast growing mushrooms by occupying such a specific substrate.

Related content:

Kira Stoletova

Nutrition methods

In nature, there are 2 main ways of nutrition - heterotrophic and autotrophic. What is their difference? Heterotrophs are all animals, many bacteria and fungi. These organisms are unable to synthesize organic matter from inorganic. They must receive the necessary connections from the external environment.

Autotrophs are plants and part of bacteria. In their cells there are special green plastids - chloroplasts. They contain a green substance called chlorophyll. It catalyzes the reaction, after which carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water, under the influence of light energy, are able to turn into complex organic compounds.

Thus, plants themselves provide themselves with building and energy material, due to which they grow. From the external environment, they receive only water, oxygen and minerals.

Fungi are called heterotrophs, they are not able to independently synthesize organic substances from inorganic ones. In this they are like animals. The second point that brings this kingdom closer to the fauna is the ability to secrete enzymes to break down complex compounds. Only in animals this process takes place inside the body, and in fungi - in the external environment.

With the plant kingdom, these organisms also have something in common. They are brought together by the method of absorption nutrients. It passes by absorption from the substrate through the cell wall. In the highest representatives of the kingdom, this happens through a special organ - the mycelium. But they do not have chlorophyll, which means that the reaction of photosynthesis is impossible.

Feeding method

For the normal functioning of any living organism, proteins (proteins), carbohydrates and fats (lipids) are needed. Proteins are synthesized in cells from amino acids supplied by heterotrophs from the external environment. Fats are part of the cell walls, become an energy reserve in case of carbohydrate deficiency. Complex carbohydrates are obtained from glucose, they are an energy material. In plants, complex carbohydrates are synthesized from simple carbohydrates - starch and fiber. In animals, they turn into glycogen, here fungi have a complete resemblance to the fauna, glycogen is also present in their body.

To get all these substances from the external environment, they must first decompose more complex compounds into simple ones. After all, neither peptides, nor starch, nor fiber enter the cell. To do this, organisms secrete external environment enzymes. Some representatives of the kingdom, for example, yeast, do not have enzymes. Therefore, they live on a specific substrate of simple carbohydrates that penetrate the cell walls.

Complex multicellular higher fungi synthesize enzymes in the mycelium, and some species in the fruiting bodies. Each variety has its own characteristics. Some produce enzymes that can dissolve a large number of substances. Others have only specific ones, for example, splitting only keratin. It depends on what medium they will grow on.

Mushrooms-saprophytes

Methods of nutrition of fungi-saprophytes are classical. According to many scientists, they are primary in relation to any other type characteristic of most representatives of this kingdom. Such organisms settle on a certain dead substrate - soil, tree stumps, semi-decomposed fruits, products, animal corpses. Hyphae penetrate this substrate, begin to secrete enzymes and absorb nutrients.

Saprotrophs play an important role in nature. Fungi feed on dead organisms and decompose them. This releases the ash elements available for absorption by plants. From simple minerals, autotrophs synthesize complex organic matter, which is necessary for heterotrophs to maintain life cycle all living things.

Most saprophytes live in the ground. They are microscopic and macroscopic. In the group of macroscopic saprophytes, the most common representatives are hat and mold. Everyone knows hat species, they grow in forests and meadows, they are edible and inedible. They live on old wood, take part in the decomposition of fallen needles and leaves. They feed on decay products of organic matter.

Moldy varieties settle on any environment, including household products. It is also dead matter that becomes their nutrient substrate. This is one of the largest groups that inhabits all corners of the planet. Mold fungi feed by decomposing coarse organics into simpler ones, then bacteria are connected to the process.

Symbiosis

This method of interaction is quite widespread in nature, although it is very specific. Two organisms take advantage of each other's traits and mutually benefit. Hat species often enter into symbiosis with trees in the forest. Their mycelium envelops the roots of the plant, penetrates into the cells. Its area reaches 1-6 km² and even more.

Minerals are absorbed through the hyphae and share them with the tree. Thus, almost the entire periodic table comes to him. The suction surface of the roots increases, which stimulates the growth of oak, birch, aspen or other species. Some trees cannot even exist without their helpers, the villi of their roots atrophy.

The fungus receives organic matter from the tree in large doses, which it synthesizes in the light through photosynthesis. Often these compounds enter the mycelium in a simple form accessible to cells.

Irina Selyutina (Biologist):

Mutually beneficial cooperation between the fungus in the plant is called mycorrhiza or fungus root. This term was introduced into biology in 1885 by the German biologist A.B. Frank.

The following types of mycorrhiza are distinguished:

1. Ectomycorrhiza: fungal hyphae wrap around the root, forming a sheath, but do not penetrate into the root cells, but only into the intercellular spaces.
2. Endomycorrhiza: fungal hyphae penetrate through the pores in the cell membranes into the root cells and can form clusters there resembling balls. Hyphae inside the cell can branch, these branches are called arbuscules.
3. Ectoendomycorrhiza: represents an intermediate variant between the previous ones.

As a result of these normalized, mycorrhizal relationships, species are more likely to survive in natural competition.

Algae, which receive minerals from their “partner”, are responsible for the photosynthesis component in this tandem. Fungal hyphae are attached to the substrate (soil, tree bark) and absorb water, ash elements from there, transfer them to algae. They produce organic matter from carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen, which is then used by fungi.

Conclusion

The nutrition of any fungus is a complex process that is part of the chemical cycle in nature. There are no extra sections in this chain. Even parasites play their part, they cleanse the environment of weakened organisms and accelerate their decomposition after death. Mushrooms grow in almost all corners of the planet, in any environment, are one of the most common organisms.

At first, biologists combined fungi and plants into one kingdom of plants, but after a series of studies, studying the structure and vital activity of fungi, they were separated into a separate group.

Mushrooms really have similar characteristics, both with the plant and animal world, they are the most numerous organisms on our Earth.

Common with plants:

• The cell wall, which is located under the main membrane;
• passive lifestyle;
• reproduce by means of spores;
• The root system absorbs nutrients from the soil.

Common with animals:

• The cell membrane contains chitin;
• heterotrophic nutrition;
• there are no chloroplasts in the cells;
• glycogen is the main nutrient.

Cap mushrooms belong to the group of higher mushrooms, united in the class Besidia. Found in forests, swampy areas, meadows.

Structural features of cap mushrooms

The body of a cap mushroom always has a mycelium and a fruit part. The fruit body is divided into a stump and a hat. And so their name was formed - hat mushrooms.

Mycelium- this is white color filamentous formations that branch in loose soil. They are built from oblong cells arranged in a row. They have many nuclei, but lack plastids. The body of the fungus is presented as a dense accumulation of hyphae filaments.

The stem threads have a similar structure, and in the cap area they form 2 balls. In the upper ball of cells there are pigments that give different types mushrooms characteristic color. Depending on the structure of the underlying layer, cap mushrooms are divided into tubular and lamellar.

• At tubular the lower ball is built from many tubular elements (in boletus, representatives of the genus Leccinum);
• at lamellar the lower layer is a collection of peculiar plates (in russula, milk mushrooms).

reproduction

Division is carried out by spore cells. The fruit bodies of cap mushrooms serve to produce spores, they are formed:

• In the cavity of the tubules;
• between the plates of the cap, which diverge radially from the center.

After ripening, the spores spill out and spread with the help of the wind over long distances. Insects on their paws carry spores throughout the forest, they are also spread by rodents that feed on mushrooms. The spores are not destroyed by the action of gastric juice and enzymes, they simply come out along with other undigested food debris.

Once on the soil enriched with organic matter and moisture, spores take root and give life to new organisms. First, the threads of the mycelium branch. This process is very slow. Only after reaching the required length and accumulating a sufficient amount of nutrients, the formation of the fruiting body begins. Fruiting bodies begin to appear in the first days of May, but rapid development and growth are possible after the onset of rains.

Food

The cells of cap mushrooms lack plastids with chlorophyll and are not capable of synthesizing organic substances on their own. They consume only prepared foods, which are absorbed by the threads of the mycelium from the moist soil. So they adsorb mineral salts, water, nutrients.

Some mushrooms feed on the roots of trees near which they grow. Most hats are saprotrophs, that is, they obtain organic compounds by destroying the remains of dead plants or animals.

Why do many hat mushrooms only grow near trees??

This is due to the symbiotic relationship between tree roots and fungal hyphae. During this form of cohabitation, both organisms benefit from it.

Mycelium with its hyphae surrounds the root and grows through the wall of its cells. When the mycelium adsorbs moisture and mineral salts from the ground, they also pass into the root system of the tree. The old parts of the root are devoid of root hairs, and the filaments of the fungus seem to replace them. From the root of the tree, the fungus takes the already synthesized organic substances that are needed for the nutrition and growth of the fruiting body.

The vital activity of the hat

Development stages:

1. Vegetative. Associated with the accumulation of nutrients, preparation for germination.
2. reproductive- direct growth of the fruiting body from the rudiment to the final formation. The average duration of this period is 2 weeks.

If the mushroom has not been cut, it smolders and thus additionally nourishes the mycelium.

The vital activity of cap mushrooms is closely related to weather conditions. They grow well in moist and warm environments. With the first warming and rains, morels sprout in late April or early May, followed by champignons. If the weather is dry, mushrooms will germinate only in the middle of summer. And with the advent of early cold weather, their growth stops.

Inedible cap mushrooms

pale grebes easily confused with mushrooms. To distinguish them, you need to turn the hat over and look at the color: the pale grebe has a light green color, and the champignons are light pink.

fly agaric stands out for its red hat with randomly scattered white dots. You can also find fly agarics with a grayish hat, they have the same structure, they differ only in color.

Inedible gall fungus similar to edible white. But on its leg at the top you can see a pattern that looks like a grid of gray or black. And if it is broken, the flesh acquires a reddish tint.

false chanterelles differ from edible chanterelles in a hat with a reddish tint, without bends. Breaking off a piece of the cap of an inedible chanterelle, whitish juice will stand out from it.

Edible cap mushrooms

Porcini distributed in coniferous and mixed forests. It has a yellowish tint, sometimes turning into a brownish red. Hat sizes vary from 7 to 30 cm in diameter.

Chanterelles- small mushrooms growing in groups in forest glades. Red color and wavy hat, characteristics chanterelles.

boletus has a light brown color, grows near birch, entering into symbiosis with it. The height of the legs can reach 15 cm in height, and the hat up to 20 cm in diameter.

Champignons can often be seen along the paths of the park area. Widely used in cooking and grown in artificial conditions.