lichens

     

Lichens (IPA: /ˈlaɪkən/ or /lɪtʃ.ən/) are symbiotic associations of a fungus (the mycobiont) with a photosynthetic partner (the photobiont also known as the phycobiont) that can prouce food for the lichen from sunlight. The photobiont is usually either green alga or cyanobacterium. A few lichens are known to contain yellow-green algae or, in one case, a brown alga. Some lichens contain both green algae and cyanobacteria as photobionts; in these cases, the cyanobacteria symbiont component may specialize in fixing atmospheric nitrogen for metabolic use.

Trivia about lichens

  • Beatrix Potter was among the first to see that these organisms were a symbiosis between fungi & algae
  • Common types of these organisms combining algae & fungi can be fructose, foliose or crustose
  • In the Arctic, some of these organisms consisting of an alga & a fungus may be 4,000 years old
  • Get in touch with your inner reindeer & paw through snow to reach these symbiotic fungi to eat

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