fungi

Fungi are a group of living organisms that include mushrooms, moulds, and yeast, and they get their food by absorbing nutrients from other materials.

• How they feed: Fungi do not make their own food like green plants. They release chemicals (enzymes) onto food and then absorb the digested nutrients.
• Where you see them: They often grow on moist and warm surfaces—like stale bread, damp walls, or rotting fruits—because these conditions help them grow faster.
• Fungi as helpful microbes: Some fungi are very useful in food-making. For example, yeast (a fungus) helps dough rise by producing carbon dioxide during fermentation.
• Different forms: Many fungi (like mould) grow as thread-like structures called hyphae that form a network (mycelium). Yeast is special because it is usually single-celled.
• Not plants, not animals: Fungi are their own group. A simple clue is that they usually have no chlorophyll, so they cannot photosynthesise.

Fungi matter because they are major decomposers in nature (they break down dead material) and some, like yeast, are important partners in making everyday foods.