# Mycology Cheatsheet

## Basics

Mycology is the study of fungi.

## Fungal Anatomy

### Parts of a Fungus

* **Mycelium**: vegetative part of the fungus that grows underground or within a substrate
* **Fruiting body**: the reproductive structure of a fungus; includes mushrooms, puffballs, and brackets
* **Hyphae**: long, branching filaments that make up the mycelium
* **Spores**: reproductive cells of fungi; used for dispersal and can be produced sexually or asexually

### Types of Fungi

* **Saprophytic**: feed on dead or decaying organic matter
* **Parasitic**: feed on living organisms
* **Mycorrhizal**: form symbiotic relationships with plant roots

## Fungal Classification

Fungi are classified based on their reproductive structures:

* **Zygomycetes**: reproduce by forming zygospores; includes bread molds
* **Ascomycetes**: reproduce by forming ascospores; includes yeasts, truffles, and morels
* **Basidiomycetes**: reproduce by forming basidiospores; includes mushrooms, puffballs, and brackets

## Mycological Techniques

### Culturing Fungi

Fungi can be grown in a lab using a variety of media, such as:

* **Agar plates**: sterile petri dishes containing a nutrient-rich agar medium
* **Liquid cultures**: liquid nutrient media used for growing large quantities of fungal mycelium
* **Spawn**: a small amount of colonized substrate used to inoculate larger batches of medium

### Microscopy

Mycologists use microscopes to examine fungal structures, including:

* **Hyphae**: individual filaments of the mycelium
* **Spores**: used for identification and classification of fungi
* **Fruiting bodies**: used to identify mushrooms and other reproductive structures

### DNA Sequencing

DNA sequencing can be used to identify and classify fungi at the molecular level.

## Resources

* [Mycological Society of America](https://msafungi.org/)
* [International Mycological Association](https://mycology.net/)
* [Mushroom Observer](https://mushroomobserver.org/)