Mushrooms are a food that many people love to eat all the world, you can put them on hamburgers, on pizzas, or even sauté them with some onions. But the question arises that many of us never thought about and that is, should we be eating mushrooms?
Genesis 1:29
“And ELOHIM said, “See, I have given you every plant that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree who fruit yields seed, to you it is for food.”
Looking at the etymology of the original word using for “plant” is eseb in Hebrew which is Strong’s #6212 which means to glisten or be green, grass, herb. And Brown-Driver Briggs defines it as herb, herbage, grass, green plants.
So, based off of the Hebrew we can already rule out that mushrooms are not a grass and they are not green. Every herb or plant produces green leaves, for example even though potatoes and carrots grow underground they still produce green leaves and flowers above the ground. So, what is the definition of an herb?
An herb is defined as a PLANT with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume. Any seed-bearing plant that does not have a woody stem and dies down to the ground after flowering.
So, mushrooms are not herbs either because they do not have leaves, they don’t contain seeds because they have spores, and they do not have flowers. Flowers that grow on the top of the plant is where the seeds come from. According to gardeningknowhow.com says “Where do seeds come from? They are the byproduct of a flower or flower-like structure. Sometimes seeds are encased in fruits, but not always. Seeds are the primary method of propagation in most plant families.
So, mushrooms are not herbs or grass, they are not green, and they do not have leaves, or flowers. And we see that YAHWEH said that we can eat every plant within the definition of the Hebrew word eseb. So, are mushrooms considered plants? Many will be surprised to find out that that mushrooms are not considered plants, but rather a fungus and is closely related to mold and mildew. I know most people would be uncomfortable with putting mold or mildew on top of their pizzas, so what makes mushrooms any different?
www.news-medical.net defines mushrooms as fungi (fungus). Its biologically distinct FROM PLANT and animal derived foods. Wikipedia adds that mushrooms are the fleshly spore bearing fruiting body of a fungus. Reference.com says by the time a mushroom emerges above the ground, the fungus has usually been feeding in place for some time. Fungi send out specialized tendrils, or hyphae into the soil and plants around them to expose a maximum of surface area to the surrounding environment. These hyphae then secrete the necessary proteins directly into the edible manner. These proteins then do the work of breaking down PLANT AND ANIMAL TISSUES. And mushrooms are known to absorb the toxins in the soil. So, mushrooms eat dead organic matter of plants and animals which is something that plants do not do.
Are mushrooms plants?
According to livescience.com Tens of thousands of organisms, from mushrooms to mold to yeast, fall under the umbrella of fungi. Once thought simply to be plants, fungi have emerged as their own taxonomic kingdom. The various fungal species are diverse, with many unique properties: some innocuous, some useful and some harmful.
Classifying fungi
We already defined based on scripture that mushrooms are not plants, but here is a source that breaks down why?
As recently as the 1960s, fungi were considered plants. In fact, at that time all organisms were classified into only two groups or kingdoms: plants and animals. In a 1969 article published in the journal Science, ecologist Robert Whittaker explained the basis of this two-kingdom system. For many decades in history, the only living creatures’ humans observed around them were either the "rooted" plants that produced their own food, or motile animals that sought out their food. Thus, mobility and the method of gaining nourishment became the criteria for a system of classification. "The animals moved and plants didn't, and that's how fungi got stuck with the plants," said Tom Volk, a professor of botany at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
However, unlike plants, fungi do not contain the green pigment chlorophyll and therefore are incapable of photosynthesis. That is, they cannot generate their own food — carbohydrates — by using energy from light. This makes them more like animals in terms of their food habits. Fungi need to absorb nutrition from organic substances: compounds that contain carbon, like carbohydrates, fats, or proteins.
Based on these and other properties, in 1969 Whittaker proposed that fungi become a separate kingdom as a part of a new five-kingdom system of classification. The proposed classification included a vast array of species. Among them, mushrooms, yeast, molds, slime molds, water molds, puffballs and mildews.
Since then, the system of classification and the fungal kingdom have been further refined. For example, slime molds and water molds were shuttled off to a different kingdom. Today, the members of the kingdom Fungi are also known as the "true fungi."
Another source
Southmill.com adds more science to why mushrooms are not plants titled: The Difference Between Mushrooms and Plants
What Is Mushroom an Example Of?
Mushrooms are heterotrophs. This means they rely on food sources in their surroundings for nutrients, such as, plant matter, ANIMAL WASTE and organic carbon. A mushroom’s source of food differs from plants because plants are autotrophic, or capable of creating their food from simple organic compounds.
I would like to add that nhphs.org (Nature Works) adds that mushrooms/fungi eat organic matter which are the REMAINS of organisms such as plants and ANIMALS and their waste products in the environment. Fungi release enzymes that decompose DEAD PLANTS AND ANIMALS, fungi absorb nutrients from the organism they are decomposing.
So, mushrooms appear to have the same characteristics as scavengers which we know are unclean for us to eat.
Cellular Structure: Mushrooms vs. Plants
Both mushrooms and plants have cell walls, but their difference lies in its composition. The cell wall of a plant is composed of cellulose, while the cell walls of a mushroom are created from complex polysaccharides: glucan and chitin. A mushroom’s cell wall protects it from predators and enhances its structural integrity.
How a Mushroom Consumes Nutrients
Mushrooms are dissimilar to plants in the way they consume food as well. Plants contain chlorophyll and undergo photosynthesis to sustain growth, but mushrooms do not function the same. Before nutrients can penetrate the cell wall, they must be digested. This means mushrooms are opposite humans in that their food must be digested before taking in nutrients. In this respect, only bacteria are like mushrooms, as their nutrient intake method is the same.
Mushroom Reproduction
If humans are examples of mammals, you may be wondering, “What is a mushroom an example of?” Like humans, mushrooms can produce sexually, which occurs when the spore of one mushroom meets with the spore of another, and a new mushroom is formed. However, mushrooms can also produce asexually. Sexual reproduction leads to greater genetic diversity in mushrooms.
Asexual reproduction involves fragmentation or budding of the mushroom, wherein the mushroom essentially copies itself. The recognizable cap of a mushroom, the part typically used in cooking, is vital to reproduction, as spores found in the gills (slits located under the cap) help create new mushrooms.
Mushrooms, for the most part, belong to either the Basidiomycota or Ascomycota phyla. Basidios are more common than ascos, as the former includes all mushrooms with gills. Ascos mushrooms feature a cup-like cavern in which the spores are contained.
How and Where Do Mushrooms Grow?
The best growth conditions for a mushroom depends on the species, but mushrooms typically do best in cool, damp areas that are rich in available nutrients. Locations where you might find wild mushroom growth include the base of trees, under pieces of wood, and gardens. Mushrooms can be further classified into types by growth patterns and preferred nutrients.
Let us touch nor eat any unclean thing and unlearn the ways of this world. I pray this has helped open the eyes of many to this topic. And as always may our Father YAHWEH bless you all in YESHUA’s Name!