What to know about Fungi?
Fungi as decomposer :
(Bracket fungi that grow on the side of tree are the fruiting structure of basidiomycetes; they receive nutrient through hyphae –which invade and decay the tree trunk)
Ability to degrade many large and soluble molecules – due to mode of nutrition.
Fungi produce a variety of exoenzymes – to digest nutrients.
Enzymes are released into substrate – large molecule are broken down into small molecule – then transported into the cell by protein carrier.
The movement of small molecule and enzymes depend on the presence of water.
As saprobes – fungi help to maintain a sustainable ecosystem – for animals and plants that share the same habitat.
Fungi interact directly with other organisms in beneficial – to replenish the environment with nutrient.
Fungi as food product :
Soy sauce ; placed in the special room where it is inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae. The mixture then incubated for 3 days, it will covered by yellow mycelial growth
Miso or permented soy bean paste ; fermentation consists of washed, polished rice which is steamed and inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae.
Tempeh ; made from the fermented products of usually legume seeds with Rhizophus oligosporus.
Industrial uses of fungi:
Uses of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisae) to make alcohol and carbon dioxide uses for fragmentation process to break down sugars.
Cheese production : various cheeses are inoculated with Penicillium roquefortii to import a strong and pungent flavor in the restaurant cheeses.
Aspergillus : fermentation of Aspergillus niger to produce citric acid.