Download Fungi are an amazing and very interesting group of organisms

Fungi are an amazing and very interesting group of organisms. Although they’re
more plant-like in appearance, when looked at more closely, it becomes blindingly
obvious that these Eukaryotes are more like animals. Some fungi use light as a
phototropic mechanism for directional growth and spore dispersal, but no fungus is
autotrophic. Fungi also lack cell walls like those found in plants, the cell walls found in
fungi are composed of chitin, where as plants use cellulose. Fungi use glycogen as a food
source, rather than starch, which is used by plants. There are three main ways fungi
obtain nutrients. Some fungi are saprobic, this means they feed off of dead plant or
animal material. There are also parasitic forms of fungus, which can parasitize plants or
animals and usually cause death. Mutualistic forms of fungus are the most common and
also the form that would be most beneficial to phytoremediation.