Mycology

MYCOLOGY, syn. mycetology (from Greek mykes - fungus and logos - science), the science of fungi. Descriptive and systematic studies on fungi already existed at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, and they sometimes contain material that has not lost its significance even to the present time (for example, E. Fries, Systema mycologicum; 1830s). However, mycology began to establish itself as a modern science only from the middle of the 19th century through the works of the Tulasne brothers in France and de Bary in Germany, who placed developmental history at the base of the study of fungi. Among the numerous followers of these "fathers of mycology," special mention should be made of Brefeld, who improved the technique of growing fungi from a single spore and was the first to use pure cultures. At the end of the 19th century, a new method—cytological—entered mycology and soon acquired great importance. It played a particularly large role in resolving the dispute that had arisen earlier between de Bary and Brefeld and had split all mycologists into two camps: the dispute regarding the sexual function in fungi, which was accepted by de Bary and rejected by Brefeld. This dispute has now been resolved in favor of de Bary's views. At the present time, the following directions are especially developed in mycology: 1) morphological-cytological—the study of developmental history using cytological methods; 2) experimental-genetic—the experimental study of variability and heredity in fungi, especially in connection with the distribution of sexes in them (works by Blakeslee, Kniep, Burgeff, and others); 3) experimental-physiological, especially the study of the influence of the environment on the course of development; this direction traces its origin to the works of Klebs published at the end of the 19th century; 4) finally, a large number of studies are also carried out on systematic development, which, given the vastness of the group of fungi (about 70,000 species are known), appears to be very important. Mycology stands out as an independent branch of knowledge more than other particular botanical disciplines (for example, the study of algae, or algology, etc.). This is explained by the vastness of the group of fungi and their peculiar conditions of existence (saprophytism and parasitism), the peculiarities of the study methodology, the basis of which is isolation and cultivation in pure culture, and so forth. To this must be added the practical importance of mycology. It is most closely connected with phytopathology, serving as its theoretical basis. In medicine, mycology may be important from the standpoint of studying the causative agents of mycoses and poisonings. It must be said, however, that the mycological study of these fungi, which are important for medicine, has been very little developed.