Fungus, Jade
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Vegetables
Fungus, Jade
Latin:
Origin:
Fungus is any of about 50,000 species of saprophytic and parasitic spore-producing organisms usually classified as plants that lack chlorophyll and include molds, rusts, mildews, smuts, mushrooms, and yeasts.
Jade fungus is a kind of fungus parasitic on the surface of woody and decayed trees where the weather is damp. It belongs to Auriculariae family and appears in the form of a human external auricle.
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Fungus (Latin: "mushroom"), or Mycota (Greek: "mykes"), provide a critical part of nature's continuous rebirth: fungi recycle dead organic matter into useful nutrients by contributing to the disintegration of organic matter that results in the release of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus from dead plants and animals into the soil or the atmosphere. Sometimes the fungus doesn't wait for the biomatter to die, in which case the fungus is called a parasite. Many plants, however, are dependent on the help of a fungus to get their own nutrients.
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50,000 species of fungi have been described, but it has been estimated that the total number may be as high as 100,000-250,000. They can be found in the water, soil, air, plants, and animals of all regions of the world having sufficient moisture to enable them to grow.
The distribution of fungi is related to the availability of food and to moisture and temperature. The soil provides an ideal habitat for a large number of species. Most aquatic fungi prefer clean, cool waters. The optimum growth temperature is usually between 20° and 30° C.
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In suitable environments, fungi can live for hundreds of years, and specimens of one genus, Armillaria, are among the oldest and largest of living organisms.
Since fungi possess no chlorophyll, they are unable to photosynthesize and must obtain their carbohydrates by secreting enzymes into the surface on which they are growing. The enzymes digest the food, which is then absorbed directly through the hyphal walls.
Saprophytic fungi live off dead organisms and are partly responsible for the decomposition of organic matter. Parasitic fungi invade living organisms to obtain their food, often causing disease and death.
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Plants are the most common hosts, but humans and lower animals also serve as hosts. Symbiotic relationships include those between fungi and algae (lichen), plants (mycorrhizae), and certain insects.
Fungi were formerly classified in the plant kingdom and are still considered plants in some classification systems. The chitin in their structures and their ability to obtain food from an outside source, however, have caused many taxonomists to propose that they be classified in a separate kingdom, Fungi.
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Properties:
Sweet in flavor, mild and glossy in nature.
Functions:
Essential to many household and industrial processes, fungi are also used in the production of enzymes, organic acids, vitamins, and antibiotics. Penicillin, a green mold whose abilities to inhibit the growth of bacteria were first discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928, is just one of many fungi with beneficial effects on the human environment. Fungi also can destroy crops, cause such diseases as athlete's foot and ringworm, and ruin clothing and food with mildew and rot.
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In Chinese medical concept, fungi are used as blood tonic.
Applications:
Dosage and Administration:
6-10 g.
Cooked in dishes or in soup.
Cautions on Use:
Reference Materials:
Toxic or Side Effects:
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Modern Researches:
It is rich in protein. Each 100 g contains 10.6 g protein, 357 mg calcium, 201 mg phosphorus, 185 mg iron. It also contains carrotene, vitamins B1 and B2, mannan, glucuronic acid, lecithin, and cephalin.
It is a very good blood tonic, containing 7 times as much iron as pig's liver. It also possesses powerful inhibitions to the agglutinating tendency of blood platelets and helps to lower the level of blood lipids, including blood cholesterol. Recent reports reveal that constant consumption of this fungus is also helpful for the prevention of tumors.
Fungi are low in calories and are therefore a useful food to include in weight-loss diets., http://www.100md.com