por What is mycology?
The mycology It is the discipline in charge of studying fungi in different aspects. These organisms have been of great importance for humans since Prehistory. Its beginnings date back to ancient Greece, when fungi were classified as plants. Later, during the 18th and 19th centuries, the foundations of this discipline were laid.
The Italian Pier Antonio Micheli (1679-1737) is considered the founder of modern mycology. This author showed the importance of reproductive structures in the classification of fungi.
Mycology has various branches, among which taxonomy and phylogeny, as well as biochemistry and cell biology, stand out. The field of medical, industrial, agricultural mycology and phytopathology is also addressed.
History
prehistoric civilizations
Since the Paleolithic there have been archaeological references to the use of mushrooms, both for food and ritual purposes. In all cultures of the world there are records of its use, whether in Africa, Europe, Asia or America.
Ancient Rome and Greece
The foundations of mycology begin with the great naturalists of ancient Greece. The first reference to its cultivation is in the work of the Greek Athenaeus, in Alexandria (2nd-3rd century BC).
The first to define fungi was the philosopher Theophrastus (372-288 BC), who indicated that they were “imperfect plants, without roots, leaves, flowers or fruits.” He described four types of fungi that are still grouped into different families.
Dioscorides, in his work Della Materia Medica, describes the toxic properties of some mushrooms. He is also the first to describe agaric mushrooms, widely used for medicinal purposes.
Claudius Galen (Greek doctor) classified fungi into three different groups: the “bolités” (probably the current Amanita caesaera), the “porcini”, located in the genus Boletus, and the “mykes”. Galen indicated that the first two groups were edible and the last was toxic and very dangerous.
Pliny the Elder, in his Historis naturalis, said that “boletus” were easily confused with other poisonous mushrooms. He considered that if these fungi grew in areas with toxic substances, they could absorb them.
Middle Ages and Renaissance
During the Middle Ages, mycology did not have major advances, since naturalists only followed the works of Dioscorides and Pliny. At this time in Europe there were serious problems in the cultivation of rye due to the attack of ergot (Claviceps purpurea).
During the Renaissance, some scientists made modest contributions to the discipline. Among these is Andrea Mattioli, who supported Plinio’s false approach to poisonous “porcini”.
The botanist Andrea Caesalpinio proposed a classification of fungi based mainly on some morphological characteristics and the various uses of the different species.
Century XVIII
John Ray, English botanist, separated fungi into three groups according to their growth habit (epigeous and underground) and morphological characteristics.
The Frenchman Joseph Tournefort divided them into seven groups according to their morphology.
The founder of modern mycology was the Italian Pier Antonio Micheli, author of several fundamental discoveries in the study of fungi. He demonstrated that reproduction occurs through spores and not by spontaneous generation, as was believed until then. The classification system of fungi proposed by Micheli establishes four classes based on reproductive structures. This is considered an artificial classification, since it uses variable characters within the same group such as color.
The Swiss Carlos Linnaeus proposed binomial nomenclature in his work Systema Naturae (1735), and changed the way species were named. Linnaeus did not make great contributions to mycology, but his system laid the foundations for other researchers.
XIX century
Mycology was recognized as an independent discipline from botany, mainly due to the application of the principles established by Micheli for the study of fungi.
The most renowned mycologists of this era were Christian Persoon (1761-1836) and Elias Fries (1794-1878).
Persoon was based on the analysis of reproductive structures, his main work was Synopsis Methodica Fungorum (1801). Separated mushrooms into classes angiocarpus (spores maturing inside the fruiting body) and gymnocarpus (spores maturing outside the fruiting body), and described more than 2,000 species within these two large groups.
Elias Fries published more than 26 scientific works, considered the basis of modern mycology. Wrote Systema mycologicum (1821), where he proposed a classification based on the concept of phylogeny.
20th and 21st centuries
New technologies allowed for more accurate identification of fungi. At the beginning of the 20th century, physiological and biochemical methods began to be used that included growth and nutrient utilization tests.
Secondary metabolites produced by fungi began to be identified and their usefulness in the food and pharmaceutical industries was proven.
In the 90s of the 20th century, molecular techniques were developed, and allowed the study of phylogenetic relationships within fungi and the study of their genetic composition.
In the 21st century, the field of genomics (study of genetic content) has developed, which facilitated the sequencing of the complete genome of various species of fungi.
Based on genomics research, the accurate identification of various groups that could not be differentiated with classical techniques has been achieved.
The possibilities of using these organisms have been enhanced in various fields, such as the production of biofuels and medicine.
Field of study
Mycology is the discipline that is responsible for the study of fungi – the Kingdom Fungi – and all aspects related to them.
Mycology includes the study of the structural characteristics, life cycles and physiological behavior of fungi. Likewise, the knowledge of evolutionary processes and the importance of these organisms within ecosystems is addressed.
Because of the importance of fungi to agriculture, mycology has developed a field of study for symbiotic groups. Fungi that form mycorrhizas (symbiosis between fungi and roots) optimize the use of nutrients by plants.
Another aspect of greatest interest is related to pathogenic fungi. In this sense, mycology addresses the study of parasitic fungi of plants and animals.
Branches of mycology
Mycology addresses various fields of study. This has led researchers to specialize in their different branches, among which stand out:
Taxonomy and phylogeny
This branch addresses the identification and classification of fungi, as well as the study of the relationships between them and with other organisms. Various classification systems have been established based on morphological, reproductive and physiological characteristics, among other aspects.
With the development of molecular techniques, phylogenies have been developed for the Kingdom Fungi. Likewise, it was possible to establish relationships within each of the large groups of fungi.
The study of the geographical and ecological distribution of the different species is also taken into account. Of great interest are research on the diversity and conservation status of fungi in various regions.
Another important aspect in this branch is the study of the ecological relationships of fungi, which addresses the symbiotic relationships with other organisms, as well as the ecological behavior of the numerous parasitic groups.
Biochemistry, cell biology and physiology
This branch studies the chemical composition and cellular structure of fungi through microscopy techniques, both optical and electron, to study the biology of cells.
Research in the area of genetics allows for a better understanding of reproduction mechanisms. It is also possible to achieve culture media suitable for the development of strains under different conditions.
In the field of physiology, the relationships of fungi with their environment and forms of nutrition are studied. Likewise, matters related to the movement of solutes and water are addressed, as well as tropisms, tactisms and other mechanisms.
Biotechnology and industrial mycology
It focuses on research on the usefulness of fungi in various human activities, such as the use of yeast in fermentation processes or the obtaining of medicines.
Physiological factors of different species are handled for the manipulation of hydrocarbons, protein and vitamin synthesis. All metabolic aspects of fungi are manipulated in order to obtain products that can be used by humans.
medical mycology
It deals with the study of diseases caused by fungi in both animals and humans.
Fungal infections affect numerous people worldwide, and in some cases they can be very serious. In this field, aspects such as the behavior of the pathogen, its life cycle and host response are studied.
Research is being carried out on ways of contagion and symptoms of diseases caused by fungi. Immune responses are also studied and possible treatments are proposed.
Agricultural mycology
Agricultural mycology addresses the study of fungi useful in agriculture. These organisms are part of the soil biota, essential for the development of plants.
There is a whole field of research in the area of mycorrhiza formation (association of roots and fungi). This symbiosis is of great importance in the maintenance of plants naturally. Likewise, they are widely used in agriculture to reduce the use of fertilizers.
Phytopathology
Phytopathology is one of the most developed branches in mycology. Study diseases caused by fungi in plants.
A high percentage of fungi are plant parasites and most of them cause important diseases, which in turn cause great losses in agriculture.
In this field, the pathogens that cause diseases are studied, as well as the symptoms that occur in the plant. Treatments and management plans are also proposed in order to avoid great damage due to the attack of these fungi.
References
Gow, N. and MG Netea. Medical mycology and fungal immunology: new research perspectives addressing a major world health challenge.
Grigoriev, I., D. Cullen, SB Goodwin, D. Hibbett, TW Jeffries, CP Kubicek, C. Kuske, J..K Magnuson, F. Martin, JW Spatafora, A. Tsang and SE Baker. Fueling the future with fungal genomics. Mycology.