🍄🦠Funga & Microbial Diversity of Bengal (বঙ্গের ছত্রাক ও অণুজীব বৈচিত্র্য)

The term “funga” comes from the Latin word “fungus” (meaning mushroom).

🍄 Origin of the Term Funga:

• The term “funga” is a modern scientific creation derived from the Latin word “fungus.”
• It is derived from the Latin word “fungus,” which means mushroom.
• Unlike flora and fauna, which have roots in ancient Roman mythology, the term “funga”was developed by scientists and mycologists to recognize the fungal kingdom as a distinct and vital component of biodiversity.
• Historically, fungi were grouped with plants due to their similar appearance and stationary growth habits, but modern biology has shown that they differ significantly in their are genetically, structurally, and functionally distinct from plants.
• They do not photosynthesize like plants and instead absorb nutrients from decaying organic matter. Many also form complex symbiotic associations with both plants and animals, playing essential roles in ecosystems.
• The term funga was introduced by mycologists to represent fungal biodiversity equally alongside flora and fauna, specially in ecological research and conservation contexts.
• It collectively refers to all fungal life in a given region— including mushrooms, molds, yeasts, lichens, and fungi that live in association with plant roots, like mycorrhizae.
• As awareness of fungal diversity grows, funga is increasingly recognized as the “third kingdom” of life on Earth, alongside flora and fauna in ecosystem studies.
• It is also used to describe scientific works or books that document and classify fungi in a given area — for example, a funga of Bengal would catalog all known fungal species found in Bengal.