Nutrition

All fungi are heterotrophic.
They are either:

Saprophytic (live on dead organisms)
Parasitic (live in or on living organisms)

infoNote

Heterotrophic: organisms that cannot make food and must use food made by other organisms, e.g. animals, fungi.

1. Saprophytic Fungi

Saprophytic fungi feed of dead plants and animals.
They cause decay.
Examples: Mushrooms, moulds.

2. Parasitic Fungi

Parasitic fungi feed on living plants and animals.
They cause disease.
Examples in plants: Potato mosaic fungus (causes plant diseases like mildews and rusts).
Examples in humans: Ringworm, athlete's foot.

infoNote

Exam focus: Fungi affecting plants: Potato mosaic fungus

Fungi affecting animals: Athlete's foot

infoNote

Edible Fungi

Safe to eat.
Examples:
Mushrooms (grow above ground)
Truffles (form underground)

Mushrooms

infoNote

Poisonous Fungi

Harmful or deadly if consumed.
Examples:
Death cap
Destroying angel

Death cap

500K+ Students Use These Powerful Tools to Master Nutrition For their Leaving Cert Exams.

Enhance your understanding with flashcards, quizzes, and exams—designed to help you grasp key concepts, reinforce learning, and master any topic with confidence!

300 flashcards

Flashcards on Nutrition

Revise key concepts with interactive flashcards.

Try Biology Flashcards

35 quizzes

Quizzes on Nutrition

Test your knowledge with fun and engaging quizzes.

Try Biology Quizzes

29 questions

Exam questions on Nutrition

Boost your confidence with real exam questions.

Try Biology Questions