Interactive Resources for Schools
This topic takes on average 45 minutes to read.
Human biology
The fungi are eukaryotic organisms. The best known fungi are the mushrooms and toadstools that are such important decomposers and the yeast used in baking and brewing.
There are many different forms of fungi but they have a number of common characteristics:
Fungi do not cause many human diseases. There are a number of fungal skin conditions, where the fungus digests away the skin and causes irritation. These include athlete’s foot and ringworm.
Aspergillosis is one very serious type of fungal infection that can affect the lungs, the brain and other organs. It often affects people who are already ill or have suppressed immune systems – for example people affected by HIV/AIDS. A healthy immune system can usually destroy the fungus.
The main way that fungal pathogens affect people is by the damage they cause our crops. There are around 10,000 fungal pathogens that affect crop plants around the world, causing malnutrition and even starvation as they destroy the food people need to eat.