Ask Tappity: Science Questions for Kids > Are Mushrooms Plants?
Are Mushrooms Plants?
They don’t move, and they’re great on pizza - sound like plants, right? But are mushrooms plants, or something else entirely? Watch this video to find out, or read our explanation below!
Mushrooms are Fungi
Mushrooms aren’t plants - they’re fungi! Fungi are their own Kingdom of living thing, just like plants and animals are. Other examples of fungi include mold and yeast. Fungi are their own group altogether, and have characteristics in common with both plants and animals, as well as some all their own.
Why Aren’t Mushrooms Plants?
There’s a few things that make mushrooms different from plants. Plants make energy from sunlight, using a process called photosynthesis. Mushrooms and other fungi don’t do this - they get energy from other organisms, like animals do. Fungi usually eat dead stuff, like fallen trees and leaves. That’s why you often find mushrooms growing in dark places, or find mold growing on old food.
Mushrooms Grow Into Dead Stuff
The part of the mushroom you see and eat is just one small part of the mushroom - the part that makes spores to reproduce. The rest of the mushroom - often MOST of the mushroom - is underground. Most of a mushroom’s body is long, web-like strands called mycelium, which grow into the dead thing it’s eating. The mycelium issue digestive enzymes to dissolve the dead tissue, then absorb it into their body.
Fungi Facts for Kids
Got fungi questions? We’ve got fungi answers!
-
Mushrooms (and most fungi) reproduce by spreading tiny spores by the wind. Spores are tiny, and if they land on a suitable spot (someplace with enough water and food), they’ll germinate, growing into a new mushroom.
-
Fungi can be found in almost any habitat, but typically they’re found on land, in soil or on plant material.
-
Fungi are typically detritivores, meaning they break down and eat dead stuff. When a tree falls in the forest, even if no one is around to hear it, it’s still going to be turned back into usable soil by fungi. Fungi are extremely important - they return nutrients to the soil to be used by new plants, and clear the ground of dead organic material like logs, sticks, leaves, and dead animals.
-
Fungi are extremely useful to humans for a variety of scientific uses (not to mention pizza uses), and one of the most important is in medicine. Penicillin, the world’s first antibiotic, is produced by a kind of mold. Yeast is a fungus, and is used in anything that requires fermentation, from bread to wine to soy sauce.
-
The European white truffle is the world’s most expensive mushroom, going for over $2,000 per pound. They grow among the roots of trees in Italy, and are eaten as a delicacy, usually shaved raw over a dish.
-
A honey mushroom in Oregon is actually the largest living thing on Earth. The majority of it is underground, and it occupies 3 times the acreage of Central Park.
More Answers to Biology Questions from Kids
How do bees make honey? How do fish breathe? The Tappity Biology Library has interactive lessons with answers to those questions and more!
Want Even More Science for Kids?
Dive into Tappity, the world’s largest interactive K-5 science library. Find everything from penguins to planets and even protozoa! So whether you’re an early engineer, a budding biologist, or an aspiring astronaut, you'll be sure to discover something new just for you.
Explore Our Science Lessons
