Description
BIOL 105. THE SECRET LIFE OF MUSHROOMS. An exploration of fungi and how they impact our everyday life. Fungi provide sources of food, medicine, building, and clothing materials, have a major role in ecosystems, and are important symbionts or diseases of plants, insects, and people. This course aims to introduce students to the hidden and not-so-hidden world of fungi and their roles in nature and human society. The topics to be covered include the classification and identification of major fungi, interactions with other organisms as pathogens or beneficial symbionts, the significance of fungi as decomposers of organic matter, their impact on the environment and climate, and how humans use fungi. Course activities include lectures, in-class discussions, informal labs, and trips. This course is intended to be an introductory science course for non-science majors as well as mushroom enthusiasts, providing important general science knowledge and specific details about fungal biology. Altern