Humans and Fungi

Uses for Fungi

Human Food

• Food Examples: Button / White mushrooms, Shiitake, Oyster
• Food-Making Agents
• Brewers yeast and Bakers yeast
• Produce CO2 and Ethanol
• CO2 helps bread rise / carbonates beer
• Ethanol makes things alcoholic
• Soft Cheese
• Mycelial mat: coats the cheese curd
• Enzymes soften the cheese
• Hard Blue Cheese
• Spores added to gaps in cheese curd

Medication

• Yeast can be used as health supplement
• B-vitamins, chromium
• Penicillin: first antibiotic
• kills bacteria
• fungus uses to reduce competition
• Cultured from Penicillium chrysogenum

Hallucinogenic Fungi

• Psychotropic Mushrooms
• Pleasant hallucinations at low doses
• Paranoia at high doses
• Can cause fever and convulsions in children

Toxic Fungi

• Even raw button mushrooms can be toxic if you eat enough
• Contains Carcinogens: usually destroyed by cooking
• Several Amanita mushrooms are very toxic
• No antidote
• Toxic effects may vary by person