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Question

How are lichens useful to humans?


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Solution

Lichens:

  1. A lichen is a composite creature made up of algae or cyanobacteria that live in a mutualistic relationship with filaments of various fungus species.
  2. Lichens have unique traits that separate them from their constituent species.
  3. There are three kinds of lichens namely foliose, fruticose and crustose.
  4. Lichens are neither plants nor animals.
  5. Instead, they are organisms unlike any other on the planet.
  6. While most people mistakenly believe that lichen is a sort of moss, but it is actually a mixture of algae and a fungus.

Use of Lichens for humans:

  1. For many civilizations, lichens are primarily used as a source of food.
  2. Lichens have also been utilized as traditional medicine for a long time.
  3. Lichens can be used as an indicator of air quality from an environmental point of view.
  4. Lichens, such as Usnea, are studied for their antibacterial qualities in the creation of pharmaceuticals.
  5. And they are currently used in a range of other products.
  6. For example, they are utilized in deodorants, toothpaste, salves, extracts, and perfumes

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