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Fungal food
Fungi have no mouths or stomachs.
They absorb their food directly,
or release chemicals called
enzymes that break it down
so it can be absorbed.
What are fungi?
Fungi are not plants, animals,
or bacteria. They have a stringy
body made up of thousands of
tiny threads that spread
throughout the soil.
Plant pals
Fungi can live on plant
roots. They take nutrients
from the soil for the plant
and receive food in return.
FUNGUS KINGDOM
A poisonous toadstool in the forest is just
one bit of a fungus – as is a mushroom in
your kitchen cupboard! Fungi can be vast
soil organisms or tiny microbes, without
which many plants couldn’t grow.
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030-031_Fabulous_Fungi.indd 30 31/10/2019 14:05