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[-] MicrowavedTea@infosec.pub 62 points 1 year ago

Anyone knows what that allergic reaction thing references? Sounds interesting

[-] todd_bonzalez@lemm.ee 155 points 1 year ago

The part about them being too closely related to Humans sounds like BS, but there is a mushroom that is perfectly safe the first few times you eat it, and then eventually makes your immune system attack your blood cells.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paxillus_involutus

[-] Mobiuthuselah@lemm.ee 50 points 1 year ago

There's a Paul Stamets video where he talks about how mushrooms are so closely related to humans that we both fight off similar pathogens and that is why they are so useful to us for medicine (penicillin for example.)

[-] todd_bonzalez@lemm.ee 42 points 1 year ago

In the Paul Stamets TED talk, he never says that humans specifically are genetically close to fungi. He said that between all the different kingdoms of life, animals and fungi were more biologically similar than any other two kingdoms.

That definitely explains why we can borrow useful defenses from fungi, like antibiotics, but it's definitely not a reason to believe that our immune systems would have any difficulties differentiating between certain fungi and our own bodies, at least not for reasons related to direct genetic similarities.

[-] Mobiuthuselah@lemm.ee 9 points 1 year ago

You're right, my word choice makes it seem like I was saying fungi and humans are genetically related. Thanks for clarifying.

[-] Anticorp@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

There's an enormous difference between kingdoms, so being more similar still leaves us very far apart.

[-] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 11 points 1 year ago

That's true. To even get to the mushroom kingdom you have to jump into a lot of pipes.

[-] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Yeah the similarities make sense when you look at sponges and sea lilies and the like, but the difference between a mushroom and a mammal is incredibly vast

[-] Viper_NZ@lemmy.nz 5 points 1 year ago

Our immune systems can tell the difference between human blood types. Let alone fungus vs human.

[-] Klear@sh.itjust.works 23 points 1 year ago

TIL Stamets is named after a real mycologist.

[-] Mobiuthuselah@lemm.ee 13 points 1 year ago

I was thinking, "he is a real mycologist," before I figured out to whom you were referring.

[-] Dave@lemmy.nz 4 points 1 year ago

Yeah, I don't know if @Stamets@lemmy.world is a mycologist but he's certainly named after one.

[-] Shard@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

Holy shit. That's mildly terrifying...

[-] Potatisen@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

What other great mushroom facts do you have, mystery man?

[-] Agent641@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

The ol' bait and switch

[-] MicrowavedTea@infosec.pub 4 points 1 year ago

Well new fear unlocked, thanks.

this post was submitted on 03 Nov 2024
1104 points (98.9% liked)

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