WILD OR FARMED: A ROBUST CHAMPION OF SURVIVAL

MUSHROOMS are a well-known nutritious source consumed by many people all over the world.

- ABHIJEET KABAD

Mushrooms are a well-known nutritious source consumed by many people all over the world. They are basically fungi, which require entirely different conditions to grow when compared to plants. Although, due to their edible nature, few people call mushrooms plants, and they are not from the Plantae kingdom.

Mushrooms are heterotrophs, which means they survive on food sources from their surroundings. The environment provides them with nutrients; for e.g., plant matter, animal waste and organic carbon.

The cell walls of mushrooms differ exponentially from their plant relatives. The cell wall of mushrooms is produced from complex polysaccharides, glucan and chitin. These cell walls protect mushrooms from predators and improve structural integrity. So how do they grow and what are the conditions required?

Mushrooms emerge from fungal spores that survive in damp, dark conditions. They need a medium that is high in decaying plant matter. They often spring from dead trees. Commonly, mushrooms are artificially grown inside large plastic bags, filled with sterilised sawdust and wood chips.