Mushrooms
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A mushroom is an above-ground fruit.
Whether you like them or not, mushrooms play a role in your life.
You probably don’t think of them as a fungus, when you enjoy them in a salad, burger or soup, but that is what they
are. Their purpose is to disperse spores, microscopic single cells that can grow into new fungi.
Mushrooms are one of a group of plants that produce no chlorophyll. Unlike
green plants and vegetables they don’t perform photosynthesis to make they own food, but get it from outside sources.
Some fungi interconnect to a tree's microscopic root hairs, taking glucose in exchange for the minerals and water the fungus
obtains from the soil. About 80% of trees depend on the fungus that may also create plant hormones that stimulate the
tree to grow Great partnership.
Mushrooms and fungus are part of the decaying process. Imagine how the world
would look if leaves did not break down every year. Every fall, we gather together great mountains of leaves and somehow they
just disappear. Thank goodness.
Watch what you eat
Poisonous mushrooms contain at least two different types of toxins, each
of which can cause death if taken in large enough quantities. Some of the toxins found in poisonous mushrooms are among the
most potent ever discovered.
One group of poisons, known as amatoxins, blocks the production of DNA, the basis of cell
reproduction. This leads to the death of many cells, especially those that reproduce frequently such as in the liver, intestines,
and kidney. Other mushroom poisons affect the proteins needed for muscle contraction, and therefore reduce the ability of
certain muscle groups to perform.
You had better be well informed before you eat mushrooms. Poison is
a defense mechanism so that they are not eaten and destroyed.
50 species
The bulk of the crop in the United States is grown near Philadelphia. In
Europe more than 50 species of mushrooms are marketed. Although mushrooms contain some protein and minerals, they are 90%
water and hence are of limited nutritional value Mushroom hunters
(How brave to hunt down an unarmed mushroom)
Medicine
Currently, many species of mushrooms and fungi utilized as folk medicines
for thousands of years are under intense study.for their potential anti-cancer, anti-viral, and/or immunity-enhancement
properties We must take care of wild places, who knows what grows there that may be very useful to us.
In ancient times dried mushrooms were carried as fire starters.
I guess matches were not available.
They truly are part of the cycle of life. More wood is destroyed each
year by decay than by all the fires, floods, and termites combined! Commonly called rot, wood destroying fungi need three
things to survive, air, water, and food.
Very large fungus
Found in the Malheur national forest in Oregon, a fungus covers 890 hectares
(2,200 acres) - making it the largest living organism ever discovered.
The humble mushroom does more than make good soup.
3) Sites for more information
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There
is actually a council for mushrooms http://www.mushroomcou ncil.org/
http://www.mycolog.com/chapter22.htmOf the 2000 indexed species of mushrooms, only about 50 are known to be poisonous.
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4)
Did You Know Quick Fact / Question
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Mushrooms always grow in damp places and so they look like umbrellas."
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5)
Gifts and Goodies
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Recipes from Russia. Cooking and cuisine http://recipes.siteburg.com
Almost 100 Coffee Recipes f.r.e.e ebook t
he funny e-mail tool for all those who do not want to send boring e-mails http://www.schmaili.com/
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Recommended Ezines and sites
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