Why should a mushroom be classed as an animal?

Answer 1

A mushroom is a Fungi. n. pl. fun·gi (fŭn'jī, fŭng'gī) or fun·gus·es

Any of numerous eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Fungi, which lack chlorophyll and vascular tissue and range in form from a single cell to a body mass of branched filamentous hyphae that often produce specialized fruiting bodies. The kingdom includes the yeasts, molds, smuts, and mushrooms.

[[User:Harleydude111|Harleydude111]] 20:25, 4 Sep 2008 (UTC)[[User:Harleydude111|Harleydude111]] 20:25, 4 Sep 2008 (UTC)[[User:Harleydude111|Harleydude111]] 20:25, 4 Sep 2008 (UTC) A mushroom cannot be simply classified as either an animal or a plant. It is obviously not an animal as it does not eat either animals or plants, which is a rather simplistic way to classify animals. It is not, theoretically, a plant because it does not contain chlorophyll and cannot make its own food, which is one of the methods by which a plant is classified as a plant. Mushrooms actually absorb food and nutrients from decaying matter around them. If you look at davidlnelson.md/Cazadero/FiveKingdoms.htm, you will find arguments for classifying a mushroom as both animal and plant.

Answer 2

Mushrooms belong to the fungi kingdom, which is separate from the animal kingdom. Fungi have different characteristics, such as cell wall composition, mode of nutrition, and reproductive strategies, that distinguish them from animals. Classifying mushrooms as animals would not accurately reflect their biological characteristics and evolutionary history.

Answer 3

No, fungi are neither plants nor animals. The mushroom is only one part of a fungus, its fruiting body (i.e. reproductive system).