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Biology vocabulary · Microbiology

Fungus

Meaning in biology, with examples

/ˈfʌŋɡəs/nounCore term

In biology, fungus means: A member of the group of organisms that includes yeasts, molds and mushrooms. Fungi feed on organic material and have cell walls made of chitin.

In Turkish: mantar

How it is used

The plural is fungi (/ˈfʌŋɡaɪ/ or /ˈfʌndʒaɪ/). The adjective is fungal: fungal infection, fungal spores. Fungi are not plants: they cannot photosynthesize and are more closely related to animals. Many are decomposers.

Example sentences

  1. Penicillin was first discovered in a mold, which is a type of fungus.

  2. Many fungi live in partnership with plant roots and help them take up nutrients.

Common collocations

  • fungal infection
  • fungal spores
  • pathogenic fungus
  • soil fungi
  • microorganismA living thing too small to see without a microscope, such as a bacterium, a yeast or a single-celled alga. Viruses are often studied alongside them.
  • decomposerAn organism, mainly a bacterium or fungus, that breaks down dead plants, animals and waste, returning nutrients to the soil and the ecosystem.
  • cell wallA strong, rigid layer outside the cell membrane that supports and protects the cell. Plants, fungi and most bacteria have cell walls, but animal cells do not.
  • pathogenA microorganism or virus that causes disease in its host, such as certain bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites.
  • symbiosisA close, long-term relationship between two different species that live together. It can benefit both, benefit one without affecting the other, or harm one.

More terms: Microbiology

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