Question

After recovering from infection of ringworm, Reena thought that all fungi are harmful for human kind, as these spoil food and cause various diseases. But her elder sister told him that not all fungi are harmful, some are quite useful such as in making bread, vitamins, Medicines (antibiotics) and in decomposing organic wastes.
(i) Name any fungus which is used in bread making.
(ii) Name any fungus which is the source of some medicine.
​(iii) What ecological benefit is shown by fungi?

Answer 1

(i) Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the most commonly used fungus for bread making.

(ii) Penicillium chrysogenum is used for the production of the antibiotic penicillin.

(iii) Fungi act as decomposers and digest dead organic remains.