How do mushrooms reproduce?
Spores Mushroom hunters forge through damp wooded areas searching for the prized edible mushroom. They must be skilled in the identification process, because some mushrooms are deadly. There are over 3,000 species of mushroom throughout the world. It is a fungus, and unlike other plants, has no chlorophyll to help it manufacture food. The cap of the mushroom–the part we typically eat–is actually the fruiting part of the mushroom, and is vital to its reproduction process. The cap will last only a few days, but during that time it will create millions of spores. Spores are single cells, each capable of developing into a mushroom. Cells Produce Spores The cells that produce spores on the fruiting body are either asci or basidia. With asci cells, spores are produced internally, and in the basidia they are produced externally. Spores are released when either the tip of the asci breaks off or the spores break off from the basidia. After the spores are released, they are carried by the wind
