#these two are a mycelium network and yeast cells

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Nothing better to start the fungi battles with than with a new profile picture!

Ta-da! The new profile picture for @battle-of-the-taxons is here! Like I said, the more we figure out Tumblr's favourite organism, the more specific the profile picture will get :3 Get ready to see the fungi phyla polls in the near future!!!

[melodiousmonsters]

(Long ah post) Re-did my monster taxonomy again, now with more ranks and specificity. I shall now go into more detail about everything on there. Some taxons are grouped together for lack of anything differentiating them. Things in italics and parentheses are out of universe notes, everything else is information known to the monsters. Also yes this does mean the scientific names for the old monstiary pages are almost all inaccurate again.

Monsters are under the domain Monstra. To be put in the domain you need to be sapient and capable of breeding, some exceptions may be made for certain monsters that are clearly monsters but can’t breed. (The chart is nearly the same as the ones that are used in the modern day monster world, but the exact arrangements of species may be changed as some “monsters” aren’t even monsters but most don’t know that nor have a way to find out. Divina was added after the Wubbox were discovered, thus the addition of the last part of the previous in-world sentence as they can’t breed)

Kingdoms

(This was added after the original document was written) Divina is where the monster species made directly by gods go, a semi-waste bin taxa. The name “Divina” goes down to the genus allowing for unique species names. They seem to be immortal, and possess great power over their elements. The two monsters under the ranks are Divina mechana (Wubbox) and Divina simiservice (Enchantling). Organica contains the ordinary monsters made of living organic matter. They have living cells, can breed, and most of them need to eat, but that’s not a requirement. Inorganica contains the ordinary monsters that are made of primarily inorganic/non living matter while they are alive. They can breed, and none of them need to eat. They run entirely off of their lifeforce, but they eat sometimes for enjoyment.

Phylums

Beastia or beasts are critter-like monsters. Mondragora contains plant-like monsters (Mushrooms are plants in this universe, but there are true fungus like molds and yeasts, they just are barely researched). Reanimata or reanimated monsters are similar to the undead from ancient stories. These monsters are made of cells, but dead ones. Constructa are mainly made of non cellular materials.

Classes (not element classes those are different)

Segmenta or segmented monsters have an segmented exoskeleton composed of chitin, a nervous system primarily on their ventral side, hemolymph, a heart that is on the dorsal side, and molt to grow. Jellatina (through that to jellatidae) or jellatinous monsters are a very broad classification, a semi-wastebin taxon. Basically they don’t have a spinal cord, but aren’t segmented. Chordata or chordates have spines of some sort, even if they are very small and simple as in the inkfish(Atrapicidae). They have blood, and internal mineralized bones. Fungi (to Sporalis) or mushroom monsters have no leaves, are consumers, and aren’t like critters. They are actually a network of mycelium and what looks like their bodies are actually just puppets that are made for interacting with other monsters, and maybe aiding in breaking down food. They can shortly detach these and animate them for a bit while not connected to their mycelium, this behavior is most commonly seen in Sporalis sadisticus (Squot), but the others can do it too. Plantae (to Florales) or plant-like monsters are, well, plant-like monsters. They have chloroplasts and are autotrophs, and can absorb nutrients from soil through special membranes mostly on their feet, but some other monsters can do this too so it’s not a requirement. Instead of activating muscles with muscle fibers, they use hydraulics. They inject and retract water from special absorbent tissues that expand and shrink depending on how much water is in them. For transporting materials through their bodies they use xylem. Phantasma (to Phantidae) or phantoms are ghost-like monsters. They have no organs and instead use a special fluid called ectoplasm that does all their bodily functions like digestion, material transport, and movement. Speaking of movement ectoplasm can stay suspended mid air allowing them to float. Skelleosis (to Skelidae) or skeleton monsters are mostly made of calcified bones. They don’t need to eat, sleep, or do anything a living organism needs to do. Constructa(the class, to Mechina) are monsters that construct their bodies. They often start out by their egg morphing into their first form, and then as they gain more lifeforce as they grow they can support a larger body and add on to their forms. Incramentids (to Goleformes) are inorganic monsters that grow like an organic one rather than building themselves.

Orders

Arachnids ( to Vasucta) are segmented monsters that eat by liquifying their food with their digestive juices by injecting it into their food with fangs. Insectiformes are the segmented monsters that eat by chewing or sucking up already liquid food. Synapsids (to Mammalidae) have solid skulls with three holes in each side, differentiated teeth, warm blood, and are the only organic monsters that can have fur. Amphibians (to Amphibidae) are monsters with skin they can breathe through when wet, and solid skulls. Sauropids have solid skulls with five holes in them, and undifferentiated teeth. Piciformes or piscine monsters have skulls with multiple parts, undifferentiated teeth, and partial thermal regulation. Most have gills and lungs.

Families

Crustacean (to Crustata) monsters are Insectoid monsters that have filamentous gills that they use to breathe. Insect monsters are Insectoid monsters that breathe through spiracles. Reptilidae or reptilian monsters are cold blooded and are primarily covered in scales. Avidae or avian monsters are warm blooded sauropsids. Ossipicidae or ossipicids are piscine monsters with calcified bones. Cartelpicidae or cartelpicids are piscine monsters with cartilage bones. Atrapicidae (to Suctipedes) or inkfish are piscine monsters with beaks, very underdeveloped spines that are one or two bones. Herboceae or herbal monsters are plant-like monsters with no bark on them and instead have soft stems. Arboraceae or tree monsters are monsters with bark. Miniralidae (to Geologica) are monsters made of minerals, they typically eat the minerals that they are made of and they are then heated in a special organ called a kiln, the molten rock is then gradually pushed to the surface to cool and harden into the new surface plates of rock. How they move has been theorized to be magic based. Articinidae (to Artinzina)or artisan monsters are made of materials like wood, fabric, or other crafts materials. They grow and do everything in a magic based way.

Genuses

Insectidae - Dronsecta or dronesects are insect monsters that can open portals with their wings. Larvasa are neotonus insectoids that stay in their larval states for their entire lives. Colomu means colored wings and Colomu have colored wings instead of the clear ones other insectoids have. Insectidae is just a wastebin-taxon where the rest of the insect monsters go.

Jellatidae - Membrana have membranes around their fluid insides. Fluidum have part of their bodies as uncontained fluids, the only monster in this genus are Fluidum _____ (haven’t named the species yet) (Whimsies), wich boil the fluid to fill a sack they make to contain it, which allows them to float. Molluscus is a wastebin-taxon that contains the rest of the soft bodied monsters.

Mammalidae - Ferrae are carnivorous monsters that actively hunt things and have sharp teeth. Ruminanta are monsters that have more than 4 stomachs and eat grasses and other tough things that require a lot of digestion. Humammalia are bipedal omnivorous monsters with mostly flat teeth. Psudoreptillia are semi-cold blooded monsters with calcified skin that resemble scales. Thumpidae are monsters that share a morphological resemblance to or are Thumpidae thumpus (Thumpies), which means they have no ribs and primarily move with spring loaded bones retracted by muscles. Cabutoris exists to contain the species Cabutoris maw (Maws), which fit nowhere else.

Amphibidae - Anura have no tails, Squamosis have calcified lumps beneath their skin that make them look like they have scales.

Reptilidae - Lizardae have flat-tipped tongues. Dracoda have forked tongues. Dinodae have non-splayed-out limbs.

Avidae - Pluma have beaks and most are flighted. Humavia are bipedal and don’t have beaks, have bird-like feet, and no fur.

Ossipicedae - Squamifer have scales, Lenis don’t.

Cartelpicedae - Rayta have ray-like cartilage in their limbs, Serrata have serrated teeth which are mineralized.

Herboceae - Herbosa have proper leaves that are fairly thin, Suculata have thick leaves and store a lot of water.

Arboraceae - Ambularborae have no bark covered trunk, Trunka as the name implies, do

Phantidae - Banshee contains Banshee banshee (Whisps), and Banshee talona (Withurs). Felaspira contains Felaspira furrus (Ghatz) Felaspira serpenta (Xysters).

Skelidae - Carossis have some non-bone tissue, ossa are all bone.

[drabeerelsaid]

Fungi in Urine

➜The typical UTI is caused by a bacterial infection of the urinary tract, but it is also possible to develop an overgrowth of certain types of fungi.

Fungal UTI is due to Candida that  is a normal part of the human commensal flora, however it is also the most common fungal species that can cause human disease. Most often they are Candida, which may colonize bladder, urethra, or vagina.

Candida Albicans is often seen in diabetes , pregnancy, obesity and other debilitating conditions.

So, Yeast cells may be contaminants or represent a true yeast infection.

☞Under Microscope 🔬:

There are three shapes (Forms) of fungi in Urine:

Yeast "خمائر" : yeast cells vary in size , are colorless , ovoid shape and are often budding .

Hyphae "خيوط فطرية" : fungal bodies are made up of filaments, it can form a network called a mycelium (Pseudomycelium ) hyphae..

Budding "التبرعم" : Is the process of yeast cells to reproduce asexually by an asymmetric division.

They are often difficult to distinguish from red cells and Yeast but are distinguished in three ways :

by their tendency to bud.

by Correlating RBCs with a positive blood result on the urine reagent strip.

Addition of acetic acid will lyse red cells but will not lyse yeast.

Staining of urine with Methylene blue or the Sternheimer – Malbin stain facilitates differential staining of cells and nuclei.

yeast cells have a nucleus that contains DNA ,So they appear in blue color with stain (Such as Sedi Stain ).

Causes :

The finding of yeast (almost always Candida species) in the urine could mean that the patient has pyelonephritis or cystitis.

Yeast infections are common in women who take antibiotics. Broad-spectrum antibiotics, which kill a range of bacteria, also kill healthy bacteria in your vagina, leading to overgrowth of yeast.

Women with poorly controlled blood sugar are at greater risk of yeast infections than women with well-controlled blood sugar.(uncontrolled diabetes).

Women with lowered immunity ( immunocompromised) such as from corticosteroid therapy or HIV infection (AIDs) are more likely to get yeast infections.

Yeast infections are more common in women with higher estrogen levels such as pregnant women or women taking high-dose estrogen birth control pills or estrogen hormone therapy.

occurs when a patient is immunosuppressed (due to immunosuppressive drugs, chemotherapy or neutropenia).

Contamination by External secretions of vagina in female , Candida Albicans are present on the skin, and in mucous membranes normally. The mouth and vagina are the two most common places for candidiasis,

بتكون موجودة بشكل طبيعي حيث تحمل ٢٠٪ من النساء الفطر داخل المهبل ، لكن اذا تزايد نمو هذه الفطريات، فقد يشعر المريض بأعراض العدوى.

ومن الأسباب الأخرى للعدوى: اتباع نظام غذائي عالي السكريات، أو الاستخدام المفرط للمضادات الحيوية واسعة المفعول، أو العقاقير المثبطة للمناعة، أو العقاقير الستيرويدية.

Symptoms:

range from mild to moderate, and include:

Itching and irritation in the vagina

burning sensation, especially during intercourse or while urinating.

Redness and swelling of the vulva.

Vaginal pain and soreness

Vaginal rash

Thick, white, odor-free vaginal discharge with a cottage cheese appearance.

Treatment: An anti-fungal medications..

Commenting in Report ➜ "Candidiasis "Or "Candidiuria"..

يفضل فحص العينة خلال ساعة .... *

[qinxiaosblog]

Symbiotic Microorganism

A design journey about microorganism and smell.

#2 Reference  2022.7.17

I studied a few cases related to my topic and drew some lessons and inspiration from them.

Due to the limited space, I cannot display all the text and picture information, but all the works are quoted.  Thank the authors of these excellent works and express my gratitude and respect to them. 

1.Power Mutualism

Reference source: https://www.xiaohongshu.com/discovery/item/618e0c6800000000010297b6?share_from_user_hidden=true&xhsshare=WeixinSession&appuid=5ee36c5300000000010057f4&apptime=1658298012

Power Mutualism is a wearable self-driven cyanobacteria Power generation material, which can obtain nutrients from human sweat, sunlight and air and release electrical energy through photosynthesis and respiration of cyanobacteria, providing green energy for small smart wearable devices, freeing them from external Power supply charging, battery replacement and other restrictions. To meet the distributed energy demand of wearable sensor network and Internet of Things in the near future.

The project is based on interdisciplinary knowledge of the biological mechanism and cultivation methods of cyanobacteria, the preparation technology of microalgal photovoltaic cells, electrochemical measurement, and biowearable electronics. Therefore, the interdisciplinary nature is one of the biggest highlights of this invention. That is, biological engineering and digital means are integrated with design thinking. In Power Mutualism, nature, human and computer become an organic whole of Mutualism.

Reference points:

Making use of the "abandoned" abundant biomass in cyanobacteria water and the "useless" energy in the human environment.

2.Unfold

Reference source: https://www.xiaohongshu.com/discovery/item/62cbce7b000000000102471c?secondshare=weixin&share_from_user_hidden=true

Studio Lionne van Deursen exhibited its 3D design using biofilms made from bacterial cellulose, a symbiotic culture of microbes and yeast that turns solid when dried. The samples have varying transparency and are dyed with natural dyes obtained from local fruit and vegetable waste. The studio believes the material could have a variety of applications, with products made from biofilms that can be fully composted at the end of their life and are 100 percent biodegradable when put into the soil.

Unfold uses simple folding techniques to produce dynamic structures that contract and expand when the material is bent. "These shapes are the result of different folding experiments on the sheet," Van Deursen said. "By geometrically folding biofilms, different folding patterns can be made. These folded grids can be bent in different positions to form a variety of shapes."

The studio previously created a lamp collection called Imperfect using the same material, and now aims to investigate how biofilms can be used to create more complex shapes.

Reference points:

Materials: microorganism + yeast

Process: dry, natural dye (fruit, vegetable waste) for dyeing

Features: transparent, foldable, can be used in the product, can be used as compost 100% biodegradable after waste

3.Mycelium lamp

Reference source: https://www.xiaohongshu.com/discovery/item/618e0c6800000000010297b6?share_from_user_hidden=true&xhsshare=WeixinSession&appuid=5ee36c5300000000010057f4&apptime=1658298012

London-based designer Nir Meiri has teamed up with startup Biohm to produce a range of lamps using mycelium as an alternative to synthetic materials. Each lampshade is made from mycelium, and each lamp has a separate light source projected onto the mycelium shadow to produce a soft, natural glow.

In the production process, waste paper is first put into the mold, so that it grows under controlled temperature and humidity conditions. After two weeks, the waste paper is consumed, leaving only the base of the mycelium. Finally, the material is removed from the mold and dried, removing excess parts and pressing into a flat material that can be used as a lampshade.

According to a report by scientists at London's Kew Gardens at the end of 2018, the fungus could be used to break down waste products such as plastic because it is able to grow on its surface and secrete enzymes to break down the chemical bonds between plastic molecules. So Meiri thinks the development of fungal materials for furniture, lighting and construction could significantly affect the way we deal with synthetic waste.

Reference points:

Materials: mycelium

Process: dry, press flat

Properties: Decomposes plastics

4.MyHelmet

Reference source: https://studiomom.nl/en/projects/myhelmet

Studio MOM has been experimenting with bio-manufacturing based on mycelium and hemp flakes for some time. Mycelium is a root network of fungi that feed on thin slices. Heating the mixture briefly stops the growth process, creating a material with properties similar to EPS, the harmful foam found in traditional bicycle helmets.

In the design of the bicycle helmet, Studio MOM takes advantage of the growing power and network structure of mycelium. The different layers in the design not only create additional cross-connections in the material, but also make room for the airflow needed to cool the head. For MyHelmet's strap and case, we used hemp, a biodegradable material on which mycelium can be attached. The woven structure of the fabric also gives the helmet extra strength. The strap is fixed as it grows and attaches to the rest of the watch in the right place.

It's head safe and it's good for the environment. We took the "normal" bike helmet and turned it into a game changer. By developing a new process, we have taken a considerable step towards using mycelium biomanufacturing on an industrial scale. With MyHelmet, the bike industry now has a way to stop the endless stream of harmful, systematic plastics and EPS waste. Mycelia-based technology is in line with the new circular reality we are pursuing: the lowest carbon dioxide emissions, no fossil raw materials required, and the end result is 100% biodegradable. But we haven't. Who's in there?

Reference points:

Material: Mycelium + Hemp Flakes

Process: mold forming, heating

Properties: can replace EPS foam, 100% biodegradable

5.From Peel to Peel

Reference source: https://www.xiaohongshu.com/discovery/item/60b318cb00000000060265a4?share_from_user_hidden=true&xhsshare=WeixinSession&appuid=5ee36c5300000000010057f4&apptime=1658298871

Italian designer Emma Sicher combines food waste with bacteria and yeast to create single-use packaging that she hopes will replace plastic and paper packaging. Called From Peel to Peel, the project focuses on creating food packaging and containers by fermenting a mixture of microbial cellulose (SCOBY) and fruit and vegetable leftovers.

In the process, microbes convert fructose and vitamins from the waste into pure cellulose until a gelatin-like material is formed. After sitting at room temperature for two to four weeks, it turns into a translucent sheet of material with a texture similar to paper, plastic and leather. Sicher experimented with a variety of fruits and vegetables in the project, such as apples, potatoes, beetroot, grape pomace and hops, to create materials with different colors and textures.

Materials have different textures as they dry on different surfaces, and often the smoother the surface, the shinier the cellulose. And cellulose has a strong water absorption, more water resistant than ordinary paper, suitable for containing flour, sugar, pasta, rice, tea, dried fruit and other dry food. In addition to requiring fewer resources, the packaging can also be composted with organic waste, which eventually becomes soil fertilizer.

Reference points:

Ingredients: Food waste (a mixture of microbial cellulose and fruit and vegetable leftovers) + bacteria + yeast

Process: fermentation, drying

Characteristics: translucent, strong water absorption, the smoother the surface of the raw material, the more shiny the material

[ventdete]

The vertical MYCELIUM park in London: Biomimetics in architecture

https://futurearchitectureplatform.org/projects/e7ff7417-a824-49b4-8f62-d14a610b29e7/

Mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus or fungus-like bacterial colony, consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae.

The mycelium grows outwards to look for water and nutrients such as nitrogen, carbon, potassium and phosphorus, which the MYCELIUM transports to the fruiting body so it can continue to produce biomass and grow

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-mycelium-revolution-is-upon-us/

Mycelium is kind of like yeast (both are fungi), but unlike most yeast cells, which grow as a single cell, mycelium is multicellular and can grow into macro-size structures—which we most often recognize as mushrooms. Not only does mycelium produce small molecules, but it gently and with supreme precision assembles them into complex structures so small that they are invisible to the human eye.

Once the mycelium has fully built its network, it transitions to its next stage: building a mushroom. This is where humans can intervene. Rather than letting a mushroom pop up out of the substrate, the mycelium can be coaxed to build predictable structures by controlling temperature, CO2, humidity and airflow to influence the growth of tissue. This is a rapid process: the accumulation of fibers becomes a visible speck after a few hours, a visible sheet after a day or two, and an 18-by-2-by-12-inch sheet weighing a couple of pounds within the course of a week.

https://www.dezeen.com/tag/mycelium-design/

"The idea of the Growing Pavilion started from the mushrooms, but it became bigger. Everything is built from plants and trees or agricultural waste,"

[swipestream]

4 Funky Fungi to Liven Up Your Game (And A Few Ways To Use Them)—Part 1 of 2

This is as pretty as mushrooms get. Fair warning: it’s all a horror show from here on out. Image Courtesy of Pixabay.com

Beneath the soil they wait, oozing digestive juices to liquefy and absorb any edible material hapless enough to fall in their path. Silently, patiently, they spread hidden tendrils thinner than a hair under the ground, linking threads to form an invisible net below the feet of the hapless humanoids lumbering above them. Relentlessly, they burrow through the ground. Growing, consuming, they bide their time over months, years, centuries, even millennia until the time arrives that they burst through the ground, hurling copies of themselves into the air and preparing to begin the cycle once more.

Sure, this is a workable description of any number of ancient evils in fantasy gaming, but it’s also a pretty solid way of talking about the fungi you probably have in the patch of ground nearest to you right now. What we think of as “mushrooms” are really only formed by a small fraction of fungal species;

…in fact, the “mushrooms” that we see are just the mechanism by which fungi spread. This means that Toad from Super Mario Brothers, myconids from D&D, and any other mushroom creatures you can think of are just ambulatory reproductive organs, and the Smurfs village is basically a scene from a Saw movie.

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in fact, the “mushrooms” that we see are just the mechanism by which fungi spread. This means that Toad from Super Mario Brothers, myconids from D&D, and any other mushroom creatures you can think of are just ambulatory reproductive organs, and the Smurfs village is basically a scene from a Saw movie.

The majority of the “body” of a fungus is its mycelium (yes, like the network in Star Trek), which grows out in all directions, seeking food and forming a network within the soil. This underground network exists in nearly all areas with vegetative life, and in addition to decomposing materials that would otherwise pile up, it is used by plants as a kind of external digestive system, forming a symbiotic relationship whereby plants can gather food and nutrients that they can’t reach with their own root systems. There is even evidence that this network of fungi is also used in a form analogous to communication between plants, forming what is sometimes called (and I could not possibly be more delighted to tell you this) a “wood-wide web”.

Until around 1960, fungi were considered to be plants — which makes sense; they grow from something that looks like seeds, and they don’t move on their own. However, later science determined that they were much more closely related to animals, just completely immobile and without any sort of muscle tissue — which really makes me wonder whether I might technically be a fungus. They store energy as glycogen (like animals) rather than starch (like plants), and their cells are given rigidity not by plant-based materials like cellulose but instead by chitin, the same material that makes up the exoskeletons of insects like cockroaches. Yum!

Fungi can be medicinal or poisonous or delicious (or sometimes a combination of any two of those things), and the difference between a good dinner and an early grave is sometimes a matter of how they’re prepared. Indigestible or poisonous mushrooms can be rendered edible (or at least less harmful) by any number of techniques. I’m not going to go into more detail than that because a) this is the Internet, and no one should try to do this kind of thing based on the advice of an RPG blog, and b) even if that were a good idea, I’m the absolute last person who should be giving that kind of instruction. With that in mind…

Warning: mushrooms can kill you.

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Warning: mushrooms can kill you, just like they were rumored to have killed the Roman emperor Claudius, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, Pope Clement VII, and the composer Johann Schobert. And that’s just some of the famous people. About seven people per year die of mushroom poisoning in the U.S, and hundreds more are made seriously ill. Even though there are pictures in this article, and for the most part I tried to find reasonable approximations of what the fungi in question looked like, this is not an identification guide. I can’t even match my socks in the morning, and I can barely avoid killing my family when I cook for them even when I don’t use potentially poisonous ingredients — do not take anything I say as adequate reason to put these things in your mouth.

However, describing such things is not only safe, but extremely cool. And with that in mind, I present to you 8 Funky Fungi To Liven Up Your Game (And A Few Ways To Use Them).

Mind-Controlling Ant Fungus (ophiocordyceps unilateralis)

Strangely, the animated “Antz” movie left this scene on the cutting room floor. Is that reference dated? I feel like that reference is dated now. Oh, well. Look it up.

By itself, there’s nothing especially new or interesting about a fungal infection. If you’re alive, which I assume most of you reading this are, you are already host to a dizzying array of fungi, yeasts, and other creatures that call you home. They’re like roommates (good or bad). They do their thing to varying degrees of intrusiveness and stink. You also do your thing, and if you’re too incompatible, one or the other of you gets evicted. Cordyceps is more like that friend who visits from out of town and suddenly surprise! They’re moving to your city and need a place to stay. First they start eating all the food out of your fridge, then they start making demands, and before you know it, they’re trying to hollow you out and turn your body into a nutrient paste they can use for reproduction. Which is not, in fact, something that everyone does, Harold.

This particular species of Cordyceps infects carpenter ants, and then even while eating them alive, hijacks the nervous and muscular system of the ant, forcing it to travel to an appropriate piece of plant cover, climb to the ideal elevation for reproduction, clamp on to the grass with their mandibles, and then die. The fungus continues to spread within the ant, before eventually sprouting out of the long-dead husk and throwing its spores to the wind, beginning the cycle all over again. Some scientists think that the ants may be cognitively unaffected during all of this, and that the mechanism is actually a little less like mind control, and a little more like being controlled like an agonized marionette from within. Nature is amazing.

Potential Game Use:

A prodigal son from a local farming community finally returned, but the day after his tearful homecoming, he wandered into the woods and disappeared, only to be found again a week later dead, hollowed out, and filled with a mysterious powdery substance that creates a powerful feeling of well-being when inhaled, even accidentally. The heroes have been called in to investigate the case, as local law enforcement has no idea what is going on.

At first, all signs point to a horrible drug deal gone bad, until the characters find several locals attempting (and maybe succeeding) in stealing the mysterious powder, claiming that they feel compelled to share with their friends and family. “Addicts” at first violently resist any attempts to prevent them from taking or spreading this powder, eventually becoming a kind of hive mind that exhales spores onto the PCs. If not helped, the entire village will die in agony, possibly spreading the infection to other nearby areas.

In such a story, there are plenty of opportunities for medical or nature rolls (to determine the nature of the illness or the drug), social rolls (to determine that individuals are being non-magically mind-controlled) and constitution-type rolls to avoid infection. Potential solutions include spells curing disease, exotic alchemical reagents, introducing another fungal or bacterial species to counteract the infection, and good old-fashioned fire (for games that tend to be a little darker in tone).

Candy Cap Mushrooms (lactarius rubidus)

Sure; when a mushroom hunter finds something on the ground that tastes like maple syrup, they’re “nature-loving” and “exploratory,” but when I do it I’m “too old to still be doing this kind of thing” and “need to put on pants.”

Edible mushrooms, by themselves, aren’t all that much to write home about (unless “home” has a mycologist, in which case you should definitely write home to make sure you’re eating the right ones). Edible mushrooms that make for a workable ice cream flavor start to get a little more interesting. Where lactarius rubidus gets really fun though, is after the initial consumption. When dried and then reconstituted, this mushroom tastes like maple syrup (because, it turns out, it produces the same chemical that is used to make maple syrup flavoring—now who’s being unnatural, Canada?). The real magic happens later, when the sweat and tears of people who eat the mushroom start to smell like maple syrup as well. It’s like someone with more imagination than impulse control stumbled across a wish-granting leprechaun and demanded a combination of dessert and cologne, and I’ll be darned if the little guy didn’t make it work.

Potential Game Use:

The characters are invited to a feast by a local fae noble. Because interactions with faeries in folklore and fiction are one part entertainment to three parts weaponized manners, eventually, a character is going to insult someone. To keep this adventure from feeling too “on the rails,” feel free to use a character loosely associated with the fae whom the PCs have insulted or irritated previously. For a little foreshadowing fun, include some sort of massively dangerous but largely mindless beast in a cage, leashed or otherwise bound near the tables as the characters eat. After the feast, the heroes are offered an especially delicate and exotic dessert mushroom, which is also given to the dangerous creature. The creature immediately tears into the dessert mushrooms with terrifying abandon: think “Cookie Monster” meets “Sharknado.” Because players aren’t dumb, they will almost certainly check the dessert to make sure it’s not poisonous, magically or otherwise trapped (which of course, it’s not), and/or wait to see what happens with the Hungry Hungry Horror. Offer the character some sort of minor benefit for eating the mushrooms — healing, one additional use of a power, or whatever form of play currency is used in your game (e.g. inspiration, conviction, XP). Keep track of what characters eat the mushroom and how many they eat.

Following the meal, the characters discover the delightful side effect of the mushroom — they smell exactly like the delicious dessert they just consumed thanks to their unrefined humanoid biology. Their fae hosts, of course, have more refined digestion. As the characters look on in horror, the fae lord at the head of the table lets the leash slip on their pet monster, who lunges at the nearest character while the nearby court of fae watches and applauds. This is a fairly straightforward mostly-combat encounter, but with a lot of potential fun in the form of set pieces for combat. Think flipped tables, improvised weapons, flying crockery, and lithe, mocking figures darting in and out to make things more “interesting.” This may also be an opportunity for more socially-oriented characters to use their charm to request assistance from particularly engaged onlookers.

Octopus Stinkhorn (clathrus archeri)

Apparently, they smell as good as they look.

To the right, you will see a picture of what I absolutely swear is not only a fungus, but the single grossest fungus I have ever read about (and that’s including a species coming up in the next article that grows exclusively on herbivore dung). The Octopus Stinkhorn begins its visible life as a slime-covered bolus of egg-like material with its forming tentacles barely visible. Eventually, the tentacles strain against their “egg” and burst outward, covered in a thick, black-brown goo that smells like rotting meat. The stench attracts nearby flies and other decomposers, which wander around on the surface of the tentacles, picking up spores that they drop elsewhere (basically pollination, as imagined by Clive Barker).

Potential Game Use:

Look. If you’re going to have something sprout up unexpectedly from the ground that looks like Cthulhu’s dust bunnies, you might as well lean all the way in. Something unclean has been here before. “Here” can be the site of some sort of horrible sacrifice, sacrilege, or slaughter, or it can just be a case of “wrong place at the wrong time.” As another straightforward combat encounter, it’s hard to beat a tentacled creature that can unpredictably reproduce from any spot on the ground, but the real challenge will come in the form of the creatures that are attracted to and defend the Supernatural Stinkhorn. Take this as an opportunity to drag out every gross monster you’ve ever wanted to use. Giant cockroaches? Go for it! Slime molds, gelatinous cubes, worms that walk? They’re all fair game, and they’re all making heart eyes at this festering mound of thrashing goop. Every successful strike results in everyone within 10 feet getting splashed with putrescence, triggering some sort of constitution-type roll to avoid either taking damage or losing the next round heaving breakfast onto the ground.

What’s more, who’s to say what characters who take damage from such an attack might not themselves be the source of the next infection?

Bioluminescent Fungi (~80 species)

Preeeeeeeety sure this is a Photoshop job, but you get the idea. Glowing mushrooms: They’re A Thing (TM).

I almost didn’t include bioluminescent fungi in this list. They’re such a cliche that it’s almost not worth it. But there are about 80 species of bioluminescent mushrooms, and that’s a pretty big chunk of the fungal kingdom to just leave out because everyone already knows about them. So, with that in mind, yes. Glowing mushrooms are real, and there are a bunch of them, and yes, they all look very, very cool. Do yourself a favor and do an image search of them sometime.

Potential Game Use:

Lighting is a sometimes-underutilized part of adventure and encounter design. I can’t count the number of modules and supplements I’ve read that treat lighting as sort of a throwaway — there’s almost always magical ambient lighting, or unexplained torches (which are, if you’re a sucker for verisimilitude, extremely unlikely), or sometimes no lighting  at all. Which makes sense on a certain level — much like encumbrance or precise weapon details, not everyone likes thinking about and tracking questions of visibility in exploration or combat. However, I propose that if you’re looking for a quick and easy way of making things interesting in an otherwise bog-standard dungeon or cave, start caring about lighting. Have unseen things chittering in dark corners, or drips just out of eyesight, or things darting out of view as soon as the characters get too near.

Another consideration: do your players have darkvision? Of course they do. If it’s a fantasy game, pretty much everyone has darkvision. Things without eyes have darkvision. A soup tureen has darkvision in some rulesets. You know who doesn’t have darkvision though? The large group of frightened prisoners the characters may have just freed. Alternately, some puzzles or clues may only become visible when viewed under the light of a specific species of mushroom, the identification and gathering of which can be an encounter all by itself. For an extra “wow” factor, consider making a homemade blacklight to represent the mushroom’s glow, and using lemon juice to write a hidden clue, message, or even whole puzzle.

In Conclusion:

Fungi are really, really neat and can add to just about any fantasy game, above or below-ground. They’re terrifying, dangerous, delicious, poisonous, useful and frustrating in equal measure, and if you let them, they can give your game a touch of alien whimsy that few other things in the real world can. If you’ve enjoyed this article, come back in a couple of weeks for Part 2, where I give four more kinds of fungi you might want to use in your game.

In the meantime, do you think you’ll be using more mushrooms in your games? Do you have a favorite fungus (or a suggestion for me to cover in the next piece)? Let me know in the comments!

Further Reading:

Six Bizarre Things about Fungi : A cool, quick little article about the weirdness of fungi, prominently featuring three of the species that made this list (h/t Luke: thanks for the heads up!).

Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms by Eugenia Bone. There aren’t a lot of books on mycology out there that aren’t aimed at mushroom hunters, farmers, or people looking for psychedelics. While this is an engaging and entertaining overview in a field that isn’t exactly crowded, I can’t entirely recommend this book, as it contains some flip statements about several vulnerable populations that have little if anything to do with fungi, and that kind of soured the read a bit for me. Your mileage may vary.

The Magic of Mushrooms. A documentary available in the US on Netflix (as of the time of this article), this fairly short but fun film walks you through the basics of fungal biology, as well as introducing some of the ways fungi may well shape our future. Fun, quick, and relentlessly British, I can’t recommend it highly enough for someone who likes documentaries.

4 Funky Fungi to Liven Up Your Game (And A Few Ways To Use Them)—Part 1 of 2 published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames

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Treat and Prevent Mold and Mildew in Home and Cars - Natural Remedies

For mold the 'bark may be worse than the bite' - the toxic chemical treatments may be worse http://www.moldtestusa.com/ that the health hazard of the mold and mildew spores. Many kitchen and bathroom mold removal sprays are extremely powerful bleaches. When sprayed in confined spaces they can damage lungs and induce breathing difficulties and asthma attacks in many people. Yet mold and mildew in homes and cars cause unsightly stains and damage and need to be treated and prevented. What to do? The key is understanding what causes molds and how to prevent them from occurring. The good news is that there are cheap, natural and very inexpensive homemade cleaning remedies, that are less harmful to the environment and work just as well as the chemical ones. They offer wonderful alternatives that remove a major toxic chemical risk to you and your family's health. This article reviews the causes of molds and mildew in homes and cars, how to prevent them from occurring.

It also reviews the range of natural homemade remedies you can use to treat molds and mildews that develop in your home and car. What Causes Mold and Mildew in Homes and Cars Mildew is technically a fungi in the order Erysiphales. The term 'mildew' is also used to refer to mold growth (or 'mould') which refers to a large and diverse range of fungi species that grow on the surface of food and on damp surfaces in homes and cars. Molds are extremely widespread in the environment and play a crucial role in recycling organic materials and dead plants and animals. Mold fungi grow in the form of network of branching multicellular filaments called hyphae. The interconnected network of tubular hyphae, is called a mycelium, and it is considered a single organism. The hyphae are usually transparent and resemble fine, fluffy white threads that spread over a surface over the surface. The color of an area infested with mold is generally due to the huge number of colored asexual spores produced at the ends of the hyphae. These spores are released Mold Removal Dallas into the air and have a wide range of colors: black, brown, green, yellow and orange, and many more. It is these spores that gives the mold infestation its color. Other fungi such as yeast and many disease organisms, adopt a single celled growth habit. We depend on yeast as leavening agents in bread and for producing alcohol and fizz in beers and other beverages. Fungi and yeast are our friends and foes. To grow in homes and cars molds require a key set of conditions. Mold spores to create new colonies A source of food on a surface (organic matter such as food, wood, grime, walls, upholstery, cotton and other clothing) Darkness (molds generally can not grow in bright sunlight with ultraviolet light Warmth (molds grow best in warm, not freezing environments) Oxygen Moisture (molds require wet or damp surfaces caused by water leaks, humidity and access just below the surface of foods and walls) Time (mold grow quickly, but may take 24 to 48 hours, or longer to establish and longer to appear as a colony with colored spores) Obviously, denying one or more of these requirements is the key for preventing mold outbreaks. The key one is moisture and humidity, as all the others are ubiquitous - the other conditions are present everywhere in homes and cars. If you can prevent and control moisture, humidity and keep surfaces dry you can prevent molds. With conditions such as rising damp the moisture comes from inside the wall and the key is controlling the sources of water and humidity in rooms. If you live in an area where the air has a naturally high humidity in summer, on the coast or next to a lake or large river then mold growth will be a recurring problem. In the tropics it is everywhere all the time. The situation can be made worse by the use of humidifiers and evaporative coolers in homes. But molds only need the humidity level of 55% to start growing. Obviously water leaks, floods and water spills can cause molds. Kitchens, laundries and especially bathrooms, are more susceptible because of higher humidity associated with bathing, showers, washing and drying machines and cooking. People may not be aware of leaks until molds develop and provide an early warning sign of leak problems. Preventing Molds by Controlling Water Leaks, Humidity and Damp Wall Surfaces Poor Ventilation Triggers Mold - A poorly ventilated room in your home, especially the kitchen and bathroom create pools of stagnant moist air ideal for mold thrives. This can occur in winter due to poor air circulation http://www.moldremediationcost.com/ in heated rooms. Steam from baths and showers and water evaporating from food cooking on the stove and laundries creates humidity and causes condensation on the walls and ceiling. Poor ventilation delays the drying out of wet surfaces. The obvious solution to improve ventilation and get warm dry circulating in places most at risk. This includes cupboards and wardrobes. Key ways of controlling moisture and humidity: Deal with any water spills or humidity buildups quickly - Most molds need 24-48 hours of moisture to begin to grow and this sets a period for any clean ups. Get water leaks fixed - This includes leaking roofs or walls, leaking pipes and leaking taps or a leaking shower. In some ways mold may help you find leaks that could cause major structural damage if not fixed. Control condensation via temperature control and ventilation - Condensation requires humid air and a cold surface. So you can to reduce condensation by keeping the surfaces warmer, through insulation and heating. Ventilation to reduce humidity is also very important. Reduce Humidity and stagnant pools of air in your home and cupboards - The best way to keep humidity low throughout your home is through ventilation. Encourage air circulation by opening windows in the house as much as you can and also opening external windows. Exhaust fans may be needed in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry. Air conditioners and de-humidifiers can also help to lower household humidity. Wet Clothes can Become Moldy and Cause Mold in Rooms - Clothes that are left damp for long periods of time can cause mold on the clothes themselves and on the walls and ceiling in a drying room. Drying clothes in a dryer means that all of that moisture is expelled into the house. Rising Damp and Water Penetration into Walls and Foundations - One of the most common causes of mold is water penetration from a leaking roof or from the foundations or base of the walls. Often the surface of the wall may not feel damp, but there is moisture inside just below the surface. Changing the way water drains around your house and waterproofing may be required to stop mold. Mold Removal and Remediation Mold spores are everywhere in the air inside and outside of the house - However they can become hazardous and cause allergies or other problems if the level of mold spores is allowed to increase. Mold need to be controlled. One major source of mold sproes in the house is food that has been allowed to go moldy. Such food needs to be removed. Surfaces that favor mold - Mold needs a moist organic substrate on which to grow and feed. So keeping surfaces dry and clean can help. Mold does not grow well on metal, plastic or glass surfaces unless they are dirty and have organic films attached to them. Plaster, wood, brickwork and even painted cement rendered walls have enough organic material on the surfaces for mold to become established if there is enough moisture. Substrates such as cotton, wood, food, carpet, bedding, paper, chipboard wallpaper, books, leather shoes, furniture, ceiling tiles, air conditioners filters are ideal for mold growth.

Regular cleaning to remove dust and grime, as well as natural inhibition substances such as tea tree oil or vinegar, can help to reduce the incidence of mild. Most mold grows on dust found on most surfaces. Sunlight helps to prevent mold, especially when combined with good ventilation. Natural Remedies to Treat Control and Prevent Mold and Mildew Unfortunately removal of heavy mold build-up will require more scrubbing than commercial bleach sprays, but they can be just as effective. 'Elbow Grease' required! White Vinegar - Common vinegar kills more than 80% of common occurring mold species. Simply fill a spray bottle with vinegar and spray on mold and mildew patches as soon as they appear in the kitchen, laundry and bathrooms. Scrub and wipe off with a damp sponge. Leave a small residue of vinegar on tiles and bathroom surfaces as an inhibitor. Essential Oils - Tea tree oil is a renowned fungicide. Put 2 teaspoons of concentrated tea tree oil in a spray bottle and top up with water. Tea tree oil in alcohol can be used undiluted. Spray the moldy area with the liquid and leave on for 10-30 minutes before wiping off. Scrubbing will be required for bad infestations, and wait 30 minutes before wiping off. Washing and scrubbing with warm water, soap and additional tea tree oil added to the brush may be required. Other essential oils to try include cajeput, thyme, nialouli and rosemary oils. Wear rubber gloves to avoid the risk of skin irritation. Hydrogen Peroxide - is a powerful bleach for bad patches, grout and other irregular surfaces. Unlike chemical bleaches, hydrogen peroxide dissolves to oxygen and water after reacting. Mix one part hydrogen peroxide (3 % formula mixture) to two parts of water and add to a spray bottle. Spray all over the shower of other moldy areas. Leave on for at least an hour before rinsing off with water. Baking Soda and Lemon Juice or White Vinegar - Baking soda has mild abrasive properties and reacts with acids such as lemon juice and vinegar to create a foaming cleansing action. Mix the powder and liquid to form a paste. Apply on the mold covered surfaces and leave for an hour or so. Spray with vinegar or lemon juice and rinse off after about 10 minutes. Borax can be used as the powder as well. Borax - Add 2 cups or borax to about 1 gallon (4 litres) of warm water and scrub the mold infected areas with a brush or cleaning pad. Rinse off with warm water. Repeat treatment and scrubbing may be required. Sprays to Prevent Mold Re-developing The best natural remedy sprays are lemon juice, tea tree oil (diluted) and White Vinegar - combined with adequate ventilation to reduce humidity and keeping surfaces dry. https://hubpages.com/living/Treat-and-Prevent-Mold-and-Mildew-in-Home-and-Cars-Natural-Remedies

[dream-a-lot-do-so-much-more]

Treat and Prevent Mold and Mildew in Home and Cars - Natural Remedies

For mold the 'bark may be worse than the bite' - the toxic chemical treatments may be worse that the health hazard of the mold and mildew spores. Many kitchen and bathroom mold removal sprays are extremely powerful bleaches. When sprayed in confined spaces they can damage lungs and induce breathing difficulties and asthma attacks in many people. Yet mold and mildew in homes and cars cause unsightly stains and damage and need to be treated and prevented. What to do? The key is understanding what causes molds and how to prevent them from occurring. The good news is that there are cheap, natural and very inexpensive homemade cleaning remedies, that are less harmful to the environment and work just as well as the chemical ones. They offer wonderful alternatives that remove a major toxic chemical risk to you and your family's health. This article reviews the causes of molds and mildew in homes and cars, how to prevent them from occurring. It also reviews the range of natural homemade remedies you can use to treat molds and mildews that develop in your home and car. What Causes Mold and Mildew in Homes and Cars Mildew is technically a fungi in the order Erysiphales. The term 'mildew' is also used to refer to mold growth (or 'mould') which refers to a large and diverse range of fungi species that grow on the surface of food and on damp surfaces in homes and cars. Molds are extremely widespread in the environment and play a crucial role in recycling organic materials and dead plants and animals. Mold fungi grow in the form of network of branching multicellular filaments called hyphae. The interconnected network of tubular hyphae, is called a mycelium, and it is considered a single organism. The hyphae are usually transparent and resemble fine, fluffy white threads that spread over a surface over the surface. The color of an area infested with mold is generally due to the huge number of colored asexual spores produced at the ends of the hyphae. These spores are released into the air and have a wide range of colors: black, brown, green, yellow and orange, and many more. It is these spores that gives the mold infestation its color. Other fungi such as yeast and many disease organisms, adopt a single celled growth habit. We depend on yeast as leavening agents in bread and for producing alcohol and fizz in beers and other beverages. Fungi and yeast are our friends and foes. To grow in homes and cars molds require a key set of conditions. Mold spores to create new colonies A source of food on a surface (organic matter such as food, wood, grime, walls, upholstery, cotton and other clothing) Darkness (molds generally can not grow in bright sunlight with ultraviolet light Warmth (molds grow best in warm, not freezing environments) Oxygen Moisture (molds require wet or damp surfaces caused by water leaks, humidity and access just below the surface of foods and walls) Time (mold grow quickly, but may take 24 to 48 hours, or longer to establish and longer to appear as http://wallinside.com/post-63009671-how-to-clean-fu-iture-items-after-a-flood.html a colony with colored spores) Obviously, denying one or more of these requirements is the key for preventing mold outbreaks. The key one is moisture and humidity, as all the others are ubiquitous - the other conditions are present everywhere in homes and cars. If you can prevent and control moisture, humidity and keep surfaces dry you can prevent molds. With conditions such as rising damp the moisture comes from inside the wall and the key is controlling the sources of water and humidity in rooms. If you live in an area where the air has a naturally high humidity in summer, on the coast or next to a lake or large river then mold growth will be a recurring problem. In the tropics it is everywhere all the time. The situation can be made worse by the use of humidifiers and evaporative coolers in homes. But molds only need the humidity level of 55% to start growing. Obviously water leaks, floods and water spills can cause molds. Kitchens, laundries and especially bathrooms, are more susceptible because of higher humidity associated with bathing, showers, washing and drying machines and cooking. People may not be aware of leaks until molds develop and provide an early warning sign of leak problems. Preventing Molds by Controlling Water Leaks, Humidity and Damp Wall Surfaces Poor Ventilation Triggers Mold - A poorly ventilated room in your home, especially the kitchen and bathroom create pools of stagnant moist air ideal for mold thrives. This can occur in winter due to poor air circulation in heated rooms. Steam from baths and showers and water evaporating from food cooking on the stove and laundries creates humidity and causes condensation on the walls and ceiling. Poor ventilation delays the drying out of wet surfaces. The obvious solution to improve ventilation and get warm dry circulating in places most at risk. This includes cupboards and wardrobes. Key ways of controlling moisture and humidity: Deal with any water spills or humidity buildups quickly - Most molds need 24-48 hours of moisture to begin to grow and this sets a period for any clean ups. Get water leaks fixed - This includes leaking roofs or walls, leaking pipes and leaking taps or a leaking shower. In some ways mold may help you find leaks that could cause major structural damage if not fixed. Control condensation via temperature control and ventilation - Condensation requires humid air and a cold surface. So you can to reduce condensation by keeping the surfaces warmer, through insulation and heating. Ventilation to reduce humidity is also very important. Reduce Humidity and stagnant pools of air in your home and cupboards - The best way to keep humidity low throughout your home is through ventilation. Encourage air circulation by opening windows in the house as much as you can and also opening external windows. Exhaust fans may be needed in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry. Air conditioners and de-humidifiers can also help to lower household humidity. Wet Clothes can Become Moldy and Cause Mold in Rooms - Clothes that are left damp for long periods of time can cause mold on the clothes themselves and on the walls and ceiling in a drying room. Drying clothes in a dryer means that all of that moisture is expelled into the house. Rising Damp and Water Penetration into Walls and Foundations - One of the most common causes of mold is water penetration from a leaking roof or from the foundations or base of the walls. Often the surface of the wall may not feel damp, but there is moisture inside just below the surface. Changing the way water drains around your house and waterproofing may be required to stop mold. Mold Removal and Remediation Mold spores are everywhere in the air inside and outside of the house - However they can become hazardous and cause allergies or other problems if the level of mold spores is allowed to increase. Mold need to be controlled. One major source of mold sproes in the house is food that has been allowed to go moldy. Such food needs to be removed. Surfaces that favor mold - Mold needs a moist organic substrate on which to grow and feed. So keeping surfaces dry and clean can help. Mold does not grow well on metal, plastic or glass surfaces unless they are dirty and have organic films attached to them. Plaster, wood, brickwork and even painted cement rendered walls have enough organic material on the surfaces for mold to become established if there is enough moisture. Substrates such as cotton, wood, food, carpet, bedding, paper, chipboard wallpaper, books, leather shoes, furniture, ceiling tiles, air conditioners filters are ideal for mold growth. Regular cleaning to remove dust and grime, as well as natural inhibition substances such as tea tree oil or vinegar, can help to reduce the incidence of mild. Most mold grows on dust found on most surfaces. Sunlight helps to prevent mold, especially when combined with good ventilation. Natural Remedies to Treat Control and Prevent Mold and Mildew Unfortunately removal of heavy mold build-up will require more scrubbing than commercial bleach sprays, but they can be just as effective. 'Elbow Grease' required! White Vinegar - Common vinegar kills more than 80% of common occurring mold species. Simply fill a spray bottle with vinegar and spray on mold and mildew patches as soon as they appear in the kitchen, laundry and bathrooms. Scrub and wipe off with a damp sponge. Leave a small residue of vinegar on tiles and bathroom surfaces as an inhibitor. Essential Oils - Tea tree oil is a renowned fungicide. Put 2 teaspoons of concentrated tea tree mold cleaning service oil in a spray bottle and top up with water. Tea tree oil in alcohol can be used undiluted. Spray the moldy area with the liquid and leave on for 10-30 minutes before wiping off. Scrubbing will be required for bad infestations, and wait 30 minutes before wiping off. Washing and scrubbing with warm water, soap and additional tea tree oil added to the brush may be required. Other essential oils to try include cajeput, thyme, nialouli and rosemary oils. Wear rubber gloves to avoid the risk of skin irritation. Hydrogen Peroxide - is a powerful bleach for bad patches, grout and other irregular surfaces. Unlike chemical bleaches, hydrogen peroxide dissolves to oxygen and water after reacting. Mix one part hydrogen peroxide (3 % formula mixture) to two parts of water and add to a spray bottle. Spray all over the shower of other moldy areas. Leave on for at least an hour before rinsing off with water. Baking Soda and Lemon Juice or White Vinegar - Baking soda has mild abrasive properties and reacts with acids such as lemon juice and vinegar to create a foaming cleansing action. Mix the powder and liquid to form a paste. Apply on the mold covered surfaces and leave for an hour or so. Spray with vinegar or lemon juice and rinse off after about 10 minutes. Borax can be used as the powder as well. Borax - Add 2 cups or borax to about 1 gallon (4 litres) of warm water and scrub the mold infected areas with a brush or cleaning pad. Rinse off with warm water. Repeat treatment and scrubbing may be required. Sprays to Prevent Mold Re-developing The best natural remedy sprays are lemon juice, tea tree oil (diluted) and White Vinegar - combined with adequate ventilation to reduce humidity and keeping surfaces dry. https://hubpages.com/living/Treat-and-Prevent-Mold-and-Mildew-in-Home-and-Cars-Natural-Remedies

[emmagreen1220-blog]

New Post has been published on Biology Dictionary

New Post has been published on http://biologydictionary.net/fungi/

Fungi

Fungi Definition

Fungi (singular: fungus) are a kingdom of usually multicellular eukaryotic organisms that are heterotrophs (cannot make their own food) and have important roles in nutrient cycling in an ecosystem. Fungi reproduce both sexually and asexually, and they also have symbiotic associations with plants and bacteria. However, they are also responsible for some diseases in plants and animals. The study of fungi is known as mycology.

Fungi Characteristics

Some fungi are single-celled, while others are multicellular. Single-celled fungi are called yeast. Some fungi alternate between single-celled yeast and multicellular forms depending on what stage of the life cycle they are in. Fungi cells have a nucleus and organelles, like plant and animal cells do. The cell walls of fungi contain chitin, which is a hard substance also found in the exoskeletons of insects and arthropods such as crustaceans. They do not contain cellulose, which commonly makes up plant cell walls.

Multicellular fungi have many hyphae (singular: hypha), which are branching filaments. Hyphae have a tubular shape and are split into cell-like compartments by walls that are known as septa. These cells can have more than one nucleus, and nuclei and other organelles can move in between them. (There is some debate over whether multicellular fungi are truly multicellular, because organelles and cytoplasm can move from one cell to the other in a process called cytoplasmic streaming. They are commonly known as multicellular, but they are not multicellular in the same way as plants and animals, which have enclosed cells.) A fungus’s network of hyphae is called a mycelium.

These are hyphae of a Penicillium fungus.

Fungi are heterotrophs; they cannot make their own food and must obtain nutrients from organic material. To do so, they use their hyphae, which elongate and branch off rapidly, allowing the mycelium of the fungus to quickly increase in size. Some fungi hyphae even form root-like threads called rhizomorphs, which help tether the fungus to the substrate that it grows on while allowing it to quickly obtain more nutrients from other sources. Fungi are opportunists, which means that they can obtain nutrients from a wide variety of sources and thrive in a wide range of environmental conditions. Some fungi obtain nutrients from dead organic matter; these fungi are called saprobes and are decomposers, which break down and get rid of dead organisms. Other fungi parasitize plants and are responsible for plant diseases like Dutch elm disease. However, fungi can also have symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationships with photosynthetic algae or bacteria, and with plant roots. A symbiotic association of a fungus and an animal that photosynthesizes is called a lichen, while a plant root-and-fungus association is called a mycorrhiza.

Fungi Reproduction

Most fungi can reproduce through both sexual and asexual reproduction. Asexual reproduction occurs through the release of spores or through mycelial fragmentation, which is when the mycelium separates into multiple pieces that grow separately. In sexual reproduction, separate individuals fuse their hyphae together. The exact life cycle depends on the species, but generally multicellular fungi have a haploid stage (where they have one set of chromosomes), a diploid stage, and a dikaryotic stage where they have two sets of chromosomes but the sets remain separate.

All fungi reproduce using spores. Spores are microscopic cells or groups of cells that disperse from their parent fungus, usually through wind or water. Spores can become dormant for a long time until conditions are favorable for growth. This is an adaptation for opportunism; with a sometimes unpredictable food source availability, spores can be dormant until they are able to colonize a new food source. Fungi produce spores through sexual and asexual reproduction.

Types of Fungi

There are five phyla of fungi: Chytridiomycota, Zygomycota, Glomeromycota, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota. The following is a brief description of each phylum.

Chytridiomycota

Chytrids, the organisms found in Chytridiomycota, are usually aquatic and microscopic. They are usually asexual, and produce spores that move around using flagella, small tail-like appendages. The chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis can cause a fungal infection in frogs by burrowing under their skin, and it has recently devastated populations of harlequin frogs, killing off two-thirds of them in Central and South America.

Zygomycota

Zygomycetes are mainly terrestrial and feed off of plant detritus or decaying animal material. They also cause problems by growing on human food sources. One example of a zygomycte is Rhizopus stolonifer, a bread mold. The hyphae of zygomycetes are not separated by septa, making their mycelia essentially one large cell with many nuclei. They usually reproduce asexually, through spores.

Glomeromycota

Glomeromycetes make up half of all fungi found in soil, and they often form mycorrhizae with plants; in fact, 80-90 percent of all land plants develop mycorrhizae with glomeromycetes. The fungi obtain sugars from the plant, and in return, dissolve minerals in the soil to provide the plant with nutrients. These fungi also reproduce asexually.

Ascomycota

Ascomycetes are often pathogens of plants and animals, including humans, in which they are responsible for infections like athlete’s foot, ringworm, and ergotism, which causes vomiting, convulsions, hallucinations, and sometimes even death. However, some ascomycetes normally are found inside humans, such as Candida albicans, a yeast which lives in the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and female reproductive tracts. Ascomycetes have reproductive sacs known as asci, which produce sexual spores, but they also reproduce asexually.

Basidiomycota

Like ascomycetes, basidiomycetes also produce sexual spores called basidiospores in cells called basidia. Basidia are usually club-shaped, and basidiomycetes are also known as club fungi. Most basidiocytes reproduce sexually. Mushrooms are a common example of basidiomycetes.

Examples of Fungi

Fungi are sometimes overlooked in biology, especially compared to bacteria, plants and animals. This is partially because many fungi are microscopic, and the field of mycology did not really develop until after the invention of the microscope. However, there are many common examples of fungi. Yeasts are one example. As mentioned before, Candida albicans grows naturally inside the human body, but sometimes it can grow excessively and cause a yeast infection. Yeast infections are extremely common; 75 percent of women will have at least one yeast infection during their lifetime.

Fungi are also often associated with food. Mushrooms and truffles are examples of fungi that are sometimes edible, the latter being highly prized in haute cuisine internationally. Molds are fungi that grow on foods over time, causing them to spoil. Food is refrigerated in order to prevent mold growth since few molds grow at 4°C (39°F). However, some molds are used in the process of cheese-making. Molds are added to soft ripened cheeses like brie, washed rind cheeses like Limburger, and blue cheeses.

Related Biology Terms

Heterotroph – An organism that cannot make its own food and must obtain nutrients from other organic sources.

Hyphae – Branching filaments of a fungus.

Mycelium – A network of hyphae.

Yeast – Single-celled fungi.

Quiz

1. Which of these is NOT a fungus? A. Mold B. Mushroom C. Algae D. Yeast

Answer to Question #1

C is correct. Algae are not fungi, but photosynthetic algae can form symbiotic relationships with fungi. A fungus and photosynthetic organism are collectively called a lichen.

2. What is a mycorrhiza? A. A network of hyphae B. A fungus that has hyphae without septa C. A symbiotic association of plant roots and fungi D. A symbiotic association of bacteria and fungi

Answer to Question #2

C is correct. Mycorrhizae are associations of plant roots and fungi. The plants and fungi have a symbiotic relationship and each provides nutrients for the other; fungi take sugars from the plant, and they break down nutrients in the soil so that the plant can uptake them.

3. Which fungi have greatly reduced populations of harlequin frogs? A. Chytrids B. Ascomycetes C. Basidiomycetes D. Zygomycetes

Answer to Question #3

A is correct. Chytrids, specifically Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, has caused fungal infections in large numbers of harlequin frogs. This has reduced their numbers in Central and South America by two-thirds.