this post was submitted on 03 Nov 2024
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Science Memes

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Mushrooms (mander.xyz)
submitted 2 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 149 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

The part about them being too closely related to Humans sounds like BS, but there is a mushroom that is perfectly safe the first few times you eat it, and then eventually makes your immune system attack your blood cells.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paxillus_involutus

[–] [email protected] 47 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

There's a Paul Stamets video where he talks about how mushrooms are so closely related to humans that we both fight off similar pathogens and that is why they are so useful to us for medicine (penicillin for example.)

[–] [email protected] 39 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

In the Paul Stamets TED talk, he never says that humans specifically are genetically close to fungi. He said that between all the different kingdoms of life, animals and fungi were more biologically similar than any other two kingdoms.

That definitely explains why we can borrow useful defenses from fungi, like antibiotics, but it's definitely not a reason to believe that our immune systems would have any difficulties differentiating between certain fungi and our own bodies, at least not for reasons related to direct genetic similarities.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago

You're right, my word choice makes it seem like I was saying fungi and humans are genetically related. Thanks for clarifying.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

There's an enormous difference between kingdoms, so being more similar still leaves us very far apart.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 weeks ago

That's true. To even get to the mushroom kingdom you have to jump into a lot of pipes.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah the similarities make sense when you look at sponges and sea lilies and the like, but the difference between a mushroom and a mammal is incredibly vast

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago

Our immune systems can tell the difference between human blood types. Let alone fungus vs human.

[–] Klear 23 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

TIL Stamets is named after a real mycologist.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I was thinking, "he is a real mycologist," before I figured out to whom you were referring.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yeah, I don't know if @[email protected] is a mycologist but he's certainly named after one.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

Named after an Astromycologist anyway. I try to distance myself as much as I can from the Union busting real world mushroom man

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 weeks ago

Holy shit. That's mildly terrifying...

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago

What other great mushroom facts do you have, mystery man?

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago

The ol' bait and switch

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

most of it was bullshit. soon as you start down a taxonomy road you're fucked with stupidity. most things in nature are on a spectrum.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Most of my friends are also on a spectrum.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

are they fun guys?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

probably.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

Well new fear unlocked, thanks.