A Fungus That Can Hijack Minds — and 6 Other Strange Fungal Abilities Experts Are Still Untangling

With around five million species found worldwide, according to a study published in Scientific reportsmushrooms inhabit almost every corner of the most remote and wild places in the world. Fungi have also evolved an impressive arsenal of abilities that help them thrive, from glowing in the dark to potentially helping them fight climate change.

“Fungi live and interact with nature on a microscopic level. As a result, the natural world becomes much larger in terms of the habitats and niches they can interact with,” said Andrew Wilson, associate curator of mycology at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Discover.

Fungi don’t just survive in extreme environments: they are reshaping scientists’ understanding of life’s capabilities. From manipulating insect behavior to building vast underground networks, fungi challenge assumptions about the natural world.

1. Certain mushrooms can control minds

Certain mushrooms can control the minds and behavior of insects.

Ophiocordyceps unilateralisknown as zombie ant fungus, is typically found in rainforests and targets carpenter ants. When infected, the ants’ minds are altered, prompting them to leave their nests in the canopy and move toward the ground. Here, the ant uses its mandibles to attach itself to the underside of a leaf and dies. In four to ten days, the fungus produces fruiting bodies from the ant’s head.

Another mushroom, known as Gibellula attenboroughii – named after David Attenborough – does something similar to O. unilateralis except with cave spiders. Researchers found that the fungus would infect some spiders in Irish and Welsh caves and force them to crawl onto cave ceilings and sit there until they likely died from exposure.

From the ceiling, it is much easier for the fungus to disperse fungal spores.

Learn more: Our prehistoric ancestors may have snacked on mushrooms, just as some primates do today

2. This mushroom is the largest organism in the world

The largest organism in the world is a fungus that weighs up to 35,000 tons. Oregon’s ‘huge mushroom’ Armillaria ostoyaecovers 2,385 acres and is believed to be approximately 8,650 years old. It is made of honey-colored mushrooms and is located in the Malheur National Forest.

Although you can see the mushrooms on the surface, what makes this organism so enormous is the extensive network of mycelium, threadlike structures that extend across the soil. It does not have a well-defined shape, only threadlike structures, and it can grow on various substrates.

3. Fungi May Be Closely Related to Animals

Fungi are genetically and evolutionarily closer to animals than to plants, according to the American Society for Microbiology, differing from animals about 900 million to 1.5 million years ago. Plants are producers, while fungi are consumers like animals, dependent on the ingestion of organic matter for nutrition.

“Fungi and animals occupy the same branch of the tree of life called Opisthokonts. Animals and fungi separate before life takes hold on earth,” Wilson said. “We share part of our life cycle with fungi through the formation of flagellate cells, or cells that propel themselves through fluid using a moving tail or hairs. These cells are primarily used for reproduction and can be seen in some fungal spores and in the genitals of animals.”

Fungi exist as multicellular or unicellular eukaryotes, meaning they can be composed of many specialized cells. Because of their large genome compared to other microbes, Wilson said fungi can diversify more variedly and efficiently than other eukaryotes.

“This reality makes fungi more dynamic than plants with respect to their metabolism and gene expression. Their physical structure is simple but can develop complex tissues and shapes. Their interactions and ecological contributions, however, are vast and constantly evolving,” Wilson said. Discover.

4. Mushrooms can build communication networks

Just like humans communicate over the Internet, trees and plants can do so using fungi. Known colloquially as broad webbing, according to Smithsonian Gardens, the fungi use threadlike structures called hyphae to form an underground mycorrhizal network through the soil. This network allows the fungi to exchange nutrients with the plant and communicate threats such as insect attacks, drought and disease.

This chain-like mycelium allows fungi to interact with the natural world at the cellular and molecular levels, allowing them to find nutrients in otherwise hard-to-reach places.

Learn more: This popular culinary mushroom turns meals into visions, making people see “little elves”

5. Mushrooms can help fight climate change

This same mycelium network could also help fight climate change. As the mycelium expands in the soil, the extended networks can trap carbon in the soil, keeping it out of the atmosphere.

Although mushrooms can mitigate some carbon emissions, Wilson says, humans still need to reduce their emissions before mushrooms can significantly reduce atmospheric carbon.

“Importantly, fungi can only do this because of the plant’s ability to fix carbon through photosynthesis. We will need more trees for fungi to grow on in order to reap the benefits of carbon fixation by fungi,” he said.

6. Some mushrooms glow in the dark

Some 110 species of mushrooms glow in the dark. In some species, underground mycelium can be bioluminescent, while fungi in other species glow. Glow-in-the-dark mushrooms often emit a constant green light, and the reaction may involve the chemicals luciferase and luciferin.

Scientists believe that glowing mushrooms may attract insects and thus help spread their spores. Brazil’s Riveria Valley is home to the highest concentration of glowing mushrooms in the world. At least 27 species have been found in a nature reserve in the region, the IPBio Betary reserve.

7. How mushrooms can help in the future

Scientists continue to discover new fungal species and abilities, suggesting that many of their secrets remain unknown. The fungal kingdom could still bring new insights to medicine, such as psilocybin compounds that can be used to treat certain mental health disorders.

Mushrooms may one day even help restore the environment and hidden systems that support life. Far from being simple, mushrooms represent one of nature’s most complex, mysterious and powerful life forms.

Learn more: Meet the newly discovered cousin of the world’s most popular magic mushroom

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