Scientists Discover Mushrooms Communicate With Each Other After Rain
It has been known for a while that mushrooms may communicate with each other using electrical signals, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
That fact was obviously of interest to science geeks, who decided to take things to a new level. They did another study that listened to mushrooms talking but they also discovered something interesting. Mushrooms really started chattering after a rainfall.
Researchers from Nagaoka College, Kyoto University, and Tohoku University got together to run experiments on a mushroom cluster. They measured electrical activity in the visible part of the mushrooms.
At first, the experiment was taking place during a dry spell. The real surprise came, however, after a typhoon hit the area, drenching it with rain.
When they first ran the experiment, the mushrooms weren't showing much "electrical potential," which they thought was a lack of rain. According to a press release, Yu Fukasawa, the study's main author, said: "The electrical potential began to fluctuate after raining, sometimes going over 100 mV."
Mushrooms connect through hyphae, a network of strands that run underground. The network of hyphae forms the mycelium. Electrical signals travel through the hyphae.
Researchers are not sure why the burst of activity takes place, but they do have some theories. Some feel it is just a way for mushrooms to know there are others in the area. Others feel it is a way to alert other mushrooms of nearby threats.
Associate professor of biosciences at the University of Exeter, Dan Bebber, has his own theory. In a 2002 interview with The Guardian, he says that the electrical impulses aren't random, but some may be "overenthusiastic" in calling it a language.
Beeber feels that more research is necessary before we add "Fungus" to Google Translate.
I love to write and it keeps me busy. I've been working online, full time since 1999. When you can't find me at the keyboard, you'll find me getting as much as I can out of life. I enjoy living simply, playing games, visiting the beach, and spending time with my family.