Hericium erinaceus: Difference between revisions

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Describe important sources of energy, electrons, and carbon (i.e. trophy) for the organism/organisms you are focusing on, as well as important molecules it/they synthesize(s).
Describe important sources of energy, electrons, and carbon (i.e. trophy) for the organism/organisms you are focusing on, as well as important molecules it/they synthesize(s).
=6. Ecology=
=6. Ecology=
Habitat; symbiosis; contributions to the environment.
H. erinaceus is a fungus with a mature fruiting body: a bulbous structure hidden by smooth fibrous spines dangling from the body in a radiating arrangement [2]. Generally, the spines’ characteristics vary with maturation. An immature specimen has white spines that are 1 cm or less in length, whereas a fully developed specimen’s spines are 1-4 cm and may discolor into a yellow-brown color [11]. H. erinaceus most often grows in Japan, North America, and the UK. Though overall, H. erinaceus is not common in nature, it is typically found growing from wood in sparsely populated forests with older trees [12]. It most often grows in dead wood, but also sometimes grows out of knotholes in trees or cracks in the bark of living trees. The growth of H. erinaceus indicates that it is a saprotroph, using already decaying wood as its source of nutrition rather than acting as the cause of disease in the wood [12]. It is most abundant in the northern hemisphere from the months of September to December [2]. H. erinaceus is beginning to disappear from natural habitats, perhaps indicating extinction [2].
H. erinaceus is a fungus with a mature fruiting body: a bulbous structure hidden by smooth fibrous spines dangling from the body in a radiating arrangement [2]. Generally, the spines’ characteristics vary with maturation. An immature specimen has white spines that are 1 cm or less in length, whereas a fully developed specimen’s spines are 1-4 cm and may discolor into a yellow-brown color [11]. H. erinaceus most often grows in Japan, North America, and the UK. Though overall, H. erinaceus is not common in nature, it is typically found growing from wood in sparsely populated forests with older trees [12]. It most often grows in dead wood, but also sometimes grows out of knotholes in trees or cracks in the bark of living trees. The growth of H. erinaceus indicates that it is a saprotroph, using already decaying wood as its source of nutrition rather than acting as the cause of disease in the wood [12]. It is most abundant in the northern hemisphere from the months of September to December [2]. H. erinaceus is beginning to disappear from natural habitats, perhaps indicating extinction [2].



Revision as of 14:26, 11 December 2023

This student page has not been curated.

1. Classification

a. Higher order taxa

Hericium erinaceus is classified under the domain Eukaryota, kingdom Fungi, phylum Basidiomycetes, class Agaricomycetes, order Russulales, and family Hericiaceae [1].

2. Description and significance

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3. Genome structure

Describe the size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes? Circular or linear? Other interesting features? What is known about its sequence?

4. Cell structure

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5. Metabolic processes

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6. Ecology

H. erinaceus is a fungus with a mature fruiting body: a bulbous structure hidden by smooth fibrous spines dangling from the body in a radiating arrangement [2]. Generally, the spines’ characteristics vary with maturation. An immature specimen has white spines that are 1 cm or less in length, whereas a fully developed specimen’s spines are 1-4 cm and may discolor into a yellow-brown color [11]. H. erinaceus most often grows in Japan, North America, and the UK. Though overall, H. erinaceus is not common in nature, it is typically found growing from wood in sparsely populated forests with older trees [12]. It most often grows in dead wood, but also sometimes grows out of knotholes in trees or cracks in the bark of living trees. The growth of H. erinaceus indicates that it is a saprotroph, using already decaying wood as its source of nutrition rather than acting as the cause of disease in the wood [12]. It is most abundant in the northern hemisphere from the months of September to December [2]. H. erinaceus is beginning to disappear from natural habitats, perhaps indicating extinction [2].

7. Pathology

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8. Current Research

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9. References

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