Jack-o'-lantern mushroom: Difference between revisions

All mushrooms use both sexual and asexual reproduction. The above ground mushrooms that you see are actually reproductive structures made from the under ground portion of the mushroom, called mycelium. The mycelium serves as a "body" for the mushrooms, and only sends them up to grow when the conditions are just right.

In sexual reproduction, mushrooms produce spores rather than sperm, eggs, or seeds. Millions of spores are located on the underside of the cap. Meiosis occurs on the underside of the cap, splitting the genetic code and creating reproductive haploid cells. Originally, the fungi will have two nuclei, but after meiosis the produced cells only have one. This means that two of these cells have to combine before a new mushroom can be formed.

Asexual reproduction in mushrooms occurs when the formed haploid cells in sexual reproduction cannot find a suitable partner to continue the life cycle with. The cell will continuously clone itself until it can find another haploid cell to join with. This can take place through the ground, by wind, and by water.<ref>Coila, Bridget. [http://suite101.com/article/the-reproductive-life-cycle-of-a-mushroom-a114504 The Reproductive Life Cycle of a Mushroom] ''Suite101''. Web. May 3, 2009 (Date-of-Publication). </ref>