Lichen
Lichen
Lichen (pronounced: /ˈlaɪkən/) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship. The combined life form has properties that are very different from the properties of its component organisms.
Etymology
The word "lichen" comes from the Greek λειχήν (leichen), which means "tree moss".
Description
Lichens come in many colors, sizes, and forms. The properties are sometimes plant-like, but lichens are not plants. Lichens may have tiny, leafless branches (fruticose), flat leaf-like structures (foliose), flakes that lie on the surface like peeling paint (crustose), or other growth forms.
Classification
A lichen is not a single organism, but the result of a partnership (symbiosis) between a fungus and an alga or cyanobacterium. Some lichens can include more than one fungal partner and these are known as polyphyletic.
Related Terms
- Symbiosis: The interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both.
- Fungus: Any of a group of unicellular, multicellular, or syncytial spore-producing organisms feeding on organic matter.
- Algae: A simple, non-flowering, and typically aquatic plant of a large group that includes the seaweeds and many single-celled forms.
- Cyanobacteria: A division of microorganisms that are related to the bacteria but are capable of photosynthesis.
See Also
- Lichenology: The branch of mycology that studies the lichens, symbiotic organisms made up of an intimate symbiotic association of a microscopic alga (or a cyanobacterium) with a filamentous fungus.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Lichen
- Wikipedia's article - Lichen
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