Comparing Fungi to Plants
Jori Mathis
Fungi
Fungi are classified in their own kingdom. They are not animals, plants, or bacteria. They are found on land, in the water, and in the air. The fungi kingdom is made up of a variety of different fungi. The lower case 'fungi' is a general word that refers to organisms that all look and act the same, but are not all related. This group is artificial and includes moulds, yeasts, mushrooms, slime moulds, and water moulds. 'Fungi', with a capital 'F', refers to the evolutionary group that includes most of the best known 'fungi': moulds, yeasts, and mushrooms, but not slime moulds or water moulds. Majority of fungi maintain their food by dead organic matter. Fungi can be unicellular or multicellular. They can also be sexually or asexually. Fungi have to rely on other food sources to support them.
characteristics:
- they are eukaryotic
- get their food by decomposing matter or eating off the hosts
- do not process chlorophyll like plants
- they reproduce through numerous spores
- they can't move around
The three most common types of fungi:
- mushrooms
- mold
- yeast
Plants
Plants cover most of the earth. They include: grass, trees, flowers, bushes, mosses, and more. Plants are part os the kingdom plantae. Plants make their own food by photosynthesis. They also get their food from the sun. They have a waxy layer which prevents them from drying out. Just like the fungi, the plants are eukaryotic. Unlike any other kingdom, in the plant cell they have a cell wall. They are two types of plants, vascular and non vascular. Vascular plants have specific tissues to move materials, such as water through the plant. They are usually smaller plants. Non vascular plants are typically smaller and those plants uses osmosis or diffusion to move material through the plant.
Glow-in-the-Dark Mushrooms: Nature’s Night Lights