About Parasynnemellisia khasiana:
- It is a new species of fungus.
- It was discovered in the bamboo forests around Mawsynram, Meghalaya.
- It is named after the Khasi Hills.
- The fungus was found on dead stems of a thorny bamboo species (Chimonocalamus griffithianus) while surveying bamboo litter in the Mawsynram area.
- Laboratory analysis confirmed that the organism did not belong to any existing fungal genus.
- As a result, the researchers established a new genus, Parasynnemellisia, with khasiana as its first described species.
- It forms a distinct evolutionary lineage within the fungal family Phaeosphaeriaceae, separating it from superficially similar bamboo-associated fungi found elsewhere in Asia.
What are Fungi?
- A fungus (plural: fungi) is a type of eukaryotic organism belonging to the kingdom Fungi, alongside plants, animals, protozoa, and monera.
- As eukaryotes, their cells contain a nucleus, mitochondria, and a complex system of internal membrane, including the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus.
- All fungi possess cell walls made of a tough polysaccharide called chitin; the cell wall provides structural strength to the fungal body.
- Fungi are incredibly diverse, with commonly encountered forms including yeast, molds, truffles, and mushrooms.
- Fungi come in both unicellular and multicellular forms, with yeast representing the simplest unicellular type and molds like Rhizopus, Mucor, and Penicillium are examples of multicellular fungi.
- They’re the most populous kingdom on the planet – an estimated 8 million fungi exist worldwide – and yet, more than 90% of them are currently unknown to science.
- They are found in just about any habitat, but most live on the land, mainly in soil or plant material rather than sea or fresh water.
- They are more closely related to animals than to plants, as they do not photosynthesise.
- Different species of fungi can be mutualistic, parasitic, or serve as decomposers.
- Most of the fungi are saprobes (live on dead organisms). They are important decomposers and recyclers of nutrients within the environment.
