Name: Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 3 min 9 s
Description: Let's get some interesting facts about some groups belonging to the Kingdom Fungi, including those present in their archetypal mushroom form.

Question

List five important uses of fungi to mankind.

Accepted Answer

Fungi are essential parts of the ecosystem and have great economic importance. Some beneficial
Roles of fungi are as follows.
Fungi as food:

Some fungi are edible and consumed as a food source. These are delicious and rich in nutrients (minerals).

Mushrooms are rich in vegetable proteins (polymers of amino acid), vitamins, and minerals.

Example of some mushrooms that are used as food are Agaricus campestris (common field mushroom), Morchella, Agaricus bisporus (white button mushroom), etc.

Fungi as medicine:

Ergot - It contains some alkaloids that are used for the smooth muscle contraction for abortion, menstrual problems, etc. It is derived from Claviceps purpurea.

Ephedrine - It is used in the treatment of asthma, nasal congestion, and breathing problem. It is synthesised from benzaldehyde by the action of yeast.

Steroid - These organic compounds are used for the treatment of allergy, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. A wide variety of fungi synthesis steroids such as Rhizopus nigricans, Aspergillus niger, etc.

Antibiotics - Some fungi like Penicillium, Claviceps, Trichoderma, etc., are used for the synthesis of antibiotics.

Fungi in the industry:

Yeast (Baker’s yeast) is used in the production of ethyl alcohol. It is also used in the baking industry to make bread.

Aspergillus sp. is used in the production of digestive enzymes like diastase, digestin, etc. It is also used in the production of citric acid.

Penicillin sp. is used for flavouring cheese.

Fungi in Agriculture:

Fungi like Trichoderma, Rhizoctonia, etc., are used to increase the fertility of the soil.

Fungi also play an important role in the ecosystem as decomposers. They secrete enzymes to digest the complex organic molecules. They also help in nutrient cycling.

List five important uses of fungi to mankind.

Important Questions on Kingdom-Fungi

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