fungus: References & Edit History
More Articles On This Topic
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Additional Reading
Fungi
Introductory works
Books for the general reader about the world of fungi include Nicholas P. Money, The Triumph of the Fungi: A Rotten History (2007); Brian M. Spooner and Peter Roberts, Fungi (2005); Roy Watling, Fungi (2003); Nicholas P. Money, Mr. Bloomfield’s Orchard: The Mysterious World of Mushrooms, Molds, and Mycologists (2002); and David Moore, Slayers, Saviours, Servants, and Sex: An Exposé of Kingdom Fungi (2001). John Webster and Roland Weber, Introduction to Fungi, 3rd ed. (2007); Michael J. Carlile, Sarah C. Watkinson, and Graham W. Gooday, The Fungi, 2nd ed. (2005); Bryce Kendrick, The Fifth Kingdom, 3rd ed. (2000); and Kevin Kavanagh, Fungi: Biology and Applications, 2nd ed. (2011), are good introductions to the fungi.
References and scientific works
Paul M. Kirk et al., Ainsworth & Bisby’s Dictionary of the Fungi, 10th ed. (2008), remains the standard reference for terminology and definitions. David Moore and LilyAnn Novak Frazer, Essential Fungal Genetics (2002); Nick Talbot, Molecular and Cellular Biology of Filamentous Fungi: A Practical Approach (2001); and Dilip K. Arora and Randy M. Berka, Applied Mycology and Biotechnology: Volume 5, Genes and Genomics (2005), explore the genetics and cellular biology of fungi. A discussion of physiological topics of fungi can be found in D.H. Jennings, The Physiology of Fungal Nutrition (2007).
Lichens
Thomas H. Nash, Lichen Biology, 2nd ed. (2008); and William Purvis, Lichens (2000), provide an introduction to lichens. Irwin M. Brodo, Sylvia Duran Sharnoff, and Stephen Sharnoff, Lichens of North America (2001) is a comprehensive work on lichenology and a useful reference source.
Article Contributors
Primary Contributors
Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors
- Vivek Abhinav
- Adam Augustyn
- Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Yamini Chauhan
- Thinley Kalsang Bhutia
- Robert Lewis
- Gloria Lotha
- Meg Matthias
- Chelsey Parrott-Sheffer
- Melissa Petruzzello
- Dutta Promeet
- Emily Rodriguez
- Kara Rogers
- Marco Sampaolo
- Veenu Setia
- Shiveta Singh
- Grace Young
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History
| Type | Description | Contributor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modified link of Web site: Biology LibreTexts - Fungi. | Sep 26, 2026 | ||
| Added media and modernized language throughout. | Aug 05, 2026 | ||
| Add new Web site: The Royal Horticultural Society - 10 fun facts about fungi. | May 21, 2026 | ||
| Media added. | Feb 23, 2026 | ||
| Add new Web site: Biology LibreTexts - Fungi. | Dec 10, 2025 | ||
| Questions and answers added. | Feb 13, 2025 | ||
| Media added. | Mar 26, 2024 | ||
| Media added. | Jan 29, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: Microbiology Society - Fungi. | Jun 27, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Live Science - Facts About the Fungus Among Us. | Apr 26, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Australian National Botanic Gardens - Fungi. | Jan 02, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: OpenStax - Microbiology - Fungi. | Aug 16, 2022 | ||
| Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - Basic Biology of Fungi. | Feb 06, 2019 | ||
| Add new Web site: The American Phytopathological Society - Introduction to Fungi. | Nov 19, 2018 | ||
| Mentioned that the first fungi likely appeared one billion years ago. | Oct 04, 2018 | ||
| Revised the number of species known to science and the total number estimated to exist. | Sep 24, 2018 | ||
| Add new Web site: ThoughtCo. - An Introduction to Types of Fungi. | Feb 21, 2018 | ||
| Corrected display issue. | Dec 28, 2017 | ||
| Media added. | Aug 16, 2017 | ||
| Add new Web site: Easy Science for Kids - Fungi � Are All Fungi Microscopic? | Dec 26, 2016 | ||
| Add new Web site: Royal Botanic Gardens - Kew - About Fungi. | Aug 16, 2016 | ||
| Added information on lichens with two fungal associations. | Jul 26, 2016 | ||
| Media added. | May 12, 2016 | ||
| Added information on the discovery of Tortotubus protuberans. | Mar 03, 2016 | ||
| Added video. | Apr 30, 2015 | ||
| Updated taxonomy and added cross-references. | Apr 09, 2015 | ||
| Updated annotated classification. | Apr 09, 2015 | ||
| Added information on the interpretation of the fossil Prototaxites as a fungus. | Apr 09, 2015 | ||
| Bibliography updated. | Mar 31, 2015 | ||
| Add new Web site: Buzzle.com - Fungi. | Feb 12, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: University of Hawaii - Fungus. | Feb 12, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: Zipcode Zoo - Fungi. | Feb 12, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: Doctor Fungus - General Descriptions, Infections in Humans and Plants. | Jul 23, 2012 | ||
| Add new Web site: Doctor Fungus - General Descriptions, Infections in Humans and Plants. | Jul 23, 2012 | ||
| Added a video describing the role of fungi in the decomposition of forest litter. | Jan 12, 2012 | ||
| Added information on a specimen of Fomitiporia ellipsoidea discovered in 2010 in China's Hainan province that had the largest fruiting body on record for a fungus. | Aug 01, 2011 | ||
| Added information on a group of recently discovered microscopic fungi (cryptomycota) that lack the polymer chitin in their cell walls. | May 12, 2011 | ||
| Added mention of the divergence of the microscopic fungi cryptomycota from the standard body plan of other fungi. | May 12, 2011 | ||
| Add new Web site: Utah State University - Shelf Fungi. | Feb 01, 2011 | ||
| Add new Web site: Iowa State University - Shelf Fungi. | Feb 01, 2011 | ||
| Media added. | Feb 26, 2009 | ||
| Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - Science - Fungi. | Feb 09, 2009 | ||
| Cross-references revised. | Oct 30, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: Natural Perspective - The Fungus Kingdom. | Sep 24, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: The Hidden Forest - What Are Fungi. | Sep 24, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: Clinton Community College - Fungi. | Jul 30, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: Virtual Museum of Canada - Sac Fungi. | Jul 30, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: Backyard Nature - The Sac Fungi. | Jul 30, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: Natural Perspective - Sac Fungi. | Jul 30, 2008 | ||
| Article thoroughly revised. | Apr 08, 2008 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Apr 08, 2008 | ||
| Bibliography revised and updated. | Apr 08, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: Perspective.com - The Fungus Kingdom. | Apr 03, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: Faculty of Biological Sciences - Microfungi. | Dec 07, 2007 | ||
| Added new Web site: University of California, Berkeley: Museum of Paleontology - Introduction to the Fungi. | Jun 27, 2006 | ||
| Added new Web site: Utah State University - Department of Biology - Fun With Fungi. | Jun 02, 2006 | ||
| Added new Web site: The Tree of Life Project - Fungi. | Jun 01, 2006 | ||
| Article revised. | Sep 05, 2000 | ||
| Article added to new online database. | Jul 26, 1999 |