Question

Is mycoplasma a fungus?

Answer 1

Fungus:

1. A fungus is a type of eukaryotic organism that includes microbes like yeasts and molds, as well as the more well-known mushrooms.
2. A primitive organism is a fungus.
3. Fungi, like animals, are heterotrophs, meaning they feed by absorbing dissolved molecules, which they do by secreting digestive enzymes into their environment.
4. Fungi do not have the ability to photosynthesize.

Mycoplasma:

1. Mycoplasma is not a fungus; it is a type of bacteria.
2. Although a Mycoplasma's normal size and shape is a 0.2-0.3 micrometer diameter sphere – a tenth the width of a typical bacterium – they can also be bigger and swollen or branched or unbranched threads of various lengths that resemble fungal filaments rather than bacteria.
3. They initially mistook it for a virus or fungus, so they named it "mycoplasma," which means "fungus-formed" in Greek.
4. Scientists eventually discovered that it is a bacterium with numerous distinguishing features.
5. Mycoplasma is a bacteria, not a fungus.