• Question: If mushrooms are fungus then why do we eat them and not get ill?

    Asked by 2468hd to Asif, Laura, Lena, Sean, Viv on 15 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Sean Murphy

      Sean Murphy answered on 14 Mar 2012:

      I hate mushrooms so I could advise that no-one should ever eat them!

      But really there are many types of fungi, some are very poisonous and others are fine to eat. Normal mushrooms we get from the shops are fine (even if they are gross).

    • Photo: Laura Waters

      Laura Waters answered on 15 Mar 2012:

      Did you hear about those people a few years ago in England who nearly died?
      Some can make you very ill and it is hard to tell which is safe and which is not!

    • Photo: Lena Ciric

      Lena Ciric answered on 18 Mar 2012:

      The structures we know as mushrooms are part of the life cycle of a fungus. The scientific name for them is the fruiting body and they are responsible for the spread of fungal spores – like seeds. Like with all microorganisms, some fungi cause us harm and some don’t.

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