Mycology is a branch of biology
真菌学是生物学中
concerned with the study of fungi.
研究真菌的一个分支学科
It may not sound like the most interesting thing to make a video about.
听起来做关于真菌的视频很无趣
But fungi are some of the most incredible
但真菌是地球上最不可思议
and important organisms on the planet
也是最重要的生物体之一
and have been throughout the history of earth,
贯穿了地球的整个历史
possibly having been around for up to one billion years.
可能已经存在了十亿年之久
Distinct from both plants and animals,
与动植物不同的是
fungi are their own separate ‘kingdom’,
真菌有它们自己的独立“王国”
with literally millions of species
有数百万种不同种类的真菌
coming in all shapes and sizes.
以不同的形状和大小存在着
One fungus to the next can be as different
真菌之间差别很大
as the snake and giraffe,
类似蛇和长颈鹿之间的差别
or chicken and the dung beetle.
或像鸡和蜣螂之间的差别
Although we might tend to think of mushrooms
虽然我们一提到真菌
when we think of fungi,
就可能会想到蘑菇
this is actually only the fruiting body of the fungus
但事实上蘑菇只是真菌的果实部分
with much more going on below the surface.
更多的部分则埋藏于地表之下
Some fungi are microscopic and invisible to the naked eye.
有些真菌极其微小 肉眼不可见
While one fungus, the “Humongous Fungus”,
然而有种真菌叫巨型真菌
is believed to be the single largest organism that exists by area,
被认为是现存面积最大的单一生物体
covering 2,200 acres in the US state of Oregon.
占地达2200英亩 位于美国俄勒冈州
For some people,
对有些人来说
the word “fungus” might stir up negative connotations,
“真菌”这个词或许会引起不适
and of course, some fungi can cause infections or diseases,
确实 有些真菌会引起感染或疾病
while others are poisonous.
有些甚至是有毒的
And that furry stuff growing on your strawberries,
那些长在你草莓上毛茸茸的东西
that’s a fungus too.
也是真菌
However, while the bad is often visible and obvious,
尽管真菌不好的一面通常显而易见
fungi are very much a force for good as well.
它们也同样有很多好的一面
We just don’t notice it.
我们只是没有注意到这一点
Fungi are not something we tend to think about often.
我们常常忽略了真菌的存在
But they are and especially have been
但它们现在 尤其在过去
immensely important to the ecosystem of this planet.
对地球的生态系统都有着非常重要的作用
In fact, it’s no understatement to say
事实上 毫不夸张地说
the life as we know it, would not be possible without fungi.
我们已知的所有生命都离不开真菌
To understand how, we need to go back a few years,
为了明白这一点 我们需要追溯好几年
well, a few billion years.
其实是几十亿年
Life in the form of single-cell organisms
以单细胞形式存在的生物体
had already been around for a long time in the oceans.
已经在海洋中存在很久了
But as far as we know
但据我们所知
the land was largely rocky and barren of life.
当时的陆地遍布石块且十分贫瘠
Things started to change when some early bacteria developed the ability of “photosynthesis”,
一些早期细菌拥有“光合作用”这一可将阳光转化为营养物质的能力时
the process of converting the sun’s light into nutrients.
事情有了变化
Over time, the byproduct of this,
随着时间的推移 光合作用的副产品
more oxygen in the atmosphere,
也就是氧气 不断产生并进入大气中
led to the acceleration of more complex organisms
促使更多复杂的生物体加速出现
in what is known as the ‘Cambrian explosion’,
这就是著名的“寒武纪生命大爆炸”
about 540 million years ago.
发生在大约五亿四千万年前
But again this was effectively confined to the water.
但是这一切仍然只是发生在水里
The transition of more complex life forms to land was made possible
更多复杂的生命体在陆地上转化成为可能
because of fungi and their unique ability.
要归功于真菌及其独特的功能
Fungi can eat rocks,
真菌能吃石头
breaking them down and turning them into soil.
能分解石头并将其转化为土壤
This is achieved by secreting digestive enzymes,
这是通过分泌消化酶
as well as through mechanical pressure.
和施加机械性压力来实现的
Fungi were able to access nutrients
真菌通过这种方式获得营养
that were otherwise unavailable to any other organism at the time.
而这在当时 其他生物体是无法做到的
It was commonly thought that
通常认为
a short 60 million years or so after the Cambrian explosion,
“寒武纪生命大爆炸”发生约六千万年后
fungi began to move onto land.
真菌开始向陆地转移
They would’ve most likely benefited from
它们大大受益于
access to more than two billion years of bacteria on the shore to feed on.
能够食用在海岸边生存了超过二十亿年的细菌
Of course, the fossil records from this period
当然 这个时期的化石记载
have quite significant gaps,
有着很多的空白
so there’s plenty of uncertainty
因此有大量的不确定性
with actually the possibility that fungi had already been on land
可能真菌早在五亿年以前
for a full 500 million years earlier.
就已经到达陆地了
However long fungi had been on land beforehand,
不论真菌提前多久来到陆地
we are fairly certain that
我们非常确定
they were eventually followed by small proto-plants,
最终小型原始植物会跟着转移到陆地上
simple organisms that could photosynthesise.
这些都是能光合作用的简单生物体
Fungi had minerals and plants had photosynthesis,
真菌拥有矿物质 而植物能光合作用
but they both needed what the other had to survive.
但它们都需要彼此拥有的东西来存活
Fungi and plants began to cooperate
于是真菌和植物开始合作
in a process known as symbiosis,
这一过程被称为“共生”
forming a mutually beneficial relationship.
形成了互惠互利的关系
As the fungi and plants began to spread, colonising the land
当真菌和植物在陆地上蔓延和繁衍
they began to turn the Earth green.
它们开始将地球绿化
The soil became more suitable for
土壤变得更适宜
many other types of plants that had yet to evolve,
其它尚需进化的植物的生长
eventually allowing for some to become independent of the fungi.
最终使一些植物得以离开真菌独自存活
With ecosystems becoming more complex,
随着生态系统变得更加复杂
new dynamic balances were established.
新的动态平衡建立起来了
The increase in oxygen produced by plants
植物产生的氧气不断增加
was balanced out by a growing population of organisms
被越来越多生物体消耗 并达到平衡
that needed the oxygen to live.
因为它们需要氧气来生存
Likewise, the organic matter that started to build up after things would die
同样的 生物体死后蓄积起来的有机物质
needed to be recycled
需要被回收利用
so it could continue to be used.
从而实现循环使用
This is where fungi come in.
真菌就此繁盛开来
To put it simply, fungi “eat death”.
简言之 真菌“吃尸体”
By breaking down dead things,
通过分解尸体
they allow the nutrients to be used again by living things.
它们使得营养能够被活的生物重新利用
This set up another important cycle,
这就建立起了另外一个重要的循环
that is fundamental to sustaining all life on Earth,
这对维持地球上所有生命起了重要作用
with fungi serving as one of the final building blocks
真菌作为至关重要的基石之一
for the world we know and love today.
建立起了今天我们所熟知并热爱的世界
Of course, while new cycles were being established and developed
当然 新的循环
into what would guide our modern ecosystems,
引导我们的现代生态系统建立和发展时
older relationships continued to thrive.
旧的联系仍然在继续发展着
In particular the symbiosis between plants and fungi,
特别是真菌和植物的共生关系
called “Mycorrhiza”,
叫做“菌根”
has continued to change and evolve even to this day,
时至今日 它仍然在继续变化和进化着
allowing more complex partnerships to form.
使更多复杂的合作关系得以形成
There are two types of Mycorrhizae,
菌根有两种
ecto-mycorrhiza,
一种是外生菌根
in which the fungus wraps itself
这种菌根的真菌把自己
around the roots of the plant,
包裹在植物的根周围
and endo-mycorrhiza,
一种叫内生菌根
in which the fungus will actually penetrate the cell wall of the plant,
这种菌根的真菌会穿透植物的细胞壁
entwining itself around the cell membrane.
把自己缠绕在细胞膜上
But as invasive as this sounds,
虽然听起来很有侵略性
this can actually make it even easier for the plant to benefit.
但其实这样能使植物更容易获益
The plant will happily let another organism literally live inside it,
植物也乐于让其他生物体生活在自己体内
because the fungus helps the plant derive more nutrients.
因为真菌能帮它们获得更多的养分
Today, the vast majority of plants
如今 大多数植物
benefit from a symbiotic relationship with various different species of fungi.
受益于与不同种类真菌之间的共生关系
Some numbers have suggested
有数据显示
as high as 90 % of plants in the world.
共生关系涵盖了世界上高达90%的植物
Some plants, after millions of years of evolution alongside fungi
有些植物在与真菌共同进化了数百万年后
still rely entirely on them for survival.
仍然需要完全依赖它们来生存
The orchid plant family, for example,
以兰科植物为例
has virtually no independent energy reserve
其实在发芽阶段就已经
during its germination stage,
没有独立的能量储备了
that is, while it’s growing from a seed
也即 它从一颗种子
into… well, a plant.
长成所谓的一株植物的过程
Now, many orchids engage in a symbiotic relationship with fungi
现在许多兰花与真菌的共生关系
that is not mutually beneficial.
并不是互惠互利的
Many of these species are actually a parasite to certain fungi,
这些种类的植物实际上是真菌的寄生虫
in which the plant will effectively suck the energy out of the fungus,
从真菌中吸收大量的营养
in this case referred to as the “host”.
这种情况下我们把真菌称为“宿主”
At the same time,
与此同时
the fungus may also be involved
真菌也很可能
in a symbiotic relationship with another plant.
与另一株植物有着共生关系
So the orchid indirectly
这样兰科植物可间接的
gets its energy through photosynthesis,
从另一株植物中获得能量
even though many of these species
即使很多兰科植物
actually lost the ability to photosynthesise themselves.
已经丧失了光合作用的能力
Parasitism can also work the other way around of course
寄生也可以倒过来相互作用
with a fungus that is a parasite to a plant.
比如真菌寄生在植物身上
As well as the exchange of nutrients between fungi and plants,
与真菌与植物交换营养物质一样
fungi can actually help the plants
真菌实际上也可以帮助植物之间
exchange nutrients among themselves.
进行营养物质交换
For example, a small tree in a forest
比如森林中的一棵小树
with limited access to sunlight
难以照射到阳光
could be fed more nutrients to help it
却能在真菌的帮助下得到更多营养
thus growing tall enough to be able to photosynthesise on its own.
从而长得足够高以独立进行光合作用
These more complex types of interactions
更多复杂的相互作用方式
between a fungus and potentially many different plants
存在于真菌和更多潜在的植物之间
from the smallest flowers to the tallest trees
从最小的花儿到最高的树木
are known as “common mycorrhizal networks”.
形成了人们所熟知的“共同菌根网络”
Fungi are capable of connecting entire forests,
真菌能够连接整个森林
which can sort of be thought of as “Nature’s Internet”,
也可以看作是某种“自然网络”
or somewhat more comically, the “Wood Wide Web”.
或者更诙谐的称作“木联网”
Fungi are able to facilitate communication between plants,
真菌能够促进植物间的交流
which can be especially strong
良好的沟通往往
if the plants are of the same spicies.
出现在同种植物之间
Now, obviously plants aren’t literally
目前植物显然并不能
having a conversation with each other,
进行通常意义上的相互对话
They’re not sentient.
它们没有感知能力
However, the communication they are capable of
但是植物进行相互交流的能力
is still pretty impressive.
仍然令人印象深刻
While plants are able to communicate via the air as well,
植物同样还能够通过空气交流
via the fungi is much more effective.
不过通过真菌交流却更有效
Signals and cues are transferred between plants
信号和线索在植物间转移
which can influence behaviour.
并且影响着它们的行为
For example, fungi can mediate
比如真菌可以调节
the transfer of chemicals that plants produce
植物所产生的化学物质的转移
to stunt the growth of their neighbouring, rival plants,
来阻碍与之相邻的相互竞争的植物生长
such as by depriving them of nutrients
比如通过剥夺它们的营养
or inhibiting their photosynthesis.
或者抑制它们的光合作用
These so-called “allelochemicals”
所谓的“化感物质”
may also be used against herbivores,
也可被用来对抗植食性动物
such as insects, that might want to eat the plant.
比如以植物为食的昆虫
Alternatively, fungi can also facilitate
另一方面 真菌可以帮助
the warning signals that affected plants send to unaffected plants,
已感染植物向未感染植物发送警告信号
triggering the plants’ defensive response.
激发植物的“防御反应”
Such a response could come in the form of a chemical
这样的反应可以是以一种化学物质的形式
that acts as a repellent to the attacker,
来驱赶攻击者
which could be a pathogen, something that can give plants diseases,
这些攻击者可以是传播疾病的病原体
or again, a herbivore.
或者是之前提到的植食性昆虫
Of course, this isn’t just the fungus being altruistic.
当然 这不是说真菌有多么的无私
It’s just in the best interest
这只是对它们最有利的方式
of the fungus that the plant survives,
通过帮助植物们存活
allowing the continuation of their mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship.
使它们之间的互助共生关系得以长久
Fungi have played a key role in the development of the world as we know it.
我们知道真菌对世界的发展起了至关重要的作用
They may not always be visible,
它们并不总是可见的
and they are not usually something we think of
也不是我们认为的那样
as being all that important.
总是很重要
But fungi are an unseen cornerstone of the ecosystems.
但是真菌是生态系统中隐形的基石
Silently pulling strings behind the scenes,
默默的地在幕后操纵着
forging relationships with many other organisms,
建立与其他生物体的联系
both alive and dead.
涵盖了活物与死尸
Of course, it’s not just plants that fungi interact with,
当然 真菌不仅和植物有着联系
us humans also have a long history with fungi as well.
它与我们人类的关系也有着悠久的历史
Whether it be as a food source,
不论是作为食物调料
or the yeast we need for our beer and bread,
还是我们制作面包和啤酒所需的酵母
their medicinal purposes, pest control and so many other uses,
或者是它们的药用价值及虫害防治等等
fungi have always been there.
真菌一直存在于我们的生活中
Always there as an influential part
作为一个重要组成部分
of not just the history of our planet,
真菌不仅影响着地球的历史
but of human history as well,
也影响着人类的历史
both for good and bad.
不论好的坏的影响都存在
The topic of fungi has proven to be
关于真菌的话题已经被证明是
one of the most surprisingly interesting topics I’ve made a video about.
我做过的最惊奇有趣的视频主题之一
This video was actually inspired
此视频的灵感实际上
by a very compelling documentary I watched
来自一个我看过的充满吸引力的纪录片
called The Kingdom: How Fungi Made Our World.
《王国：真菌如何制造我们的世界》
The documentary is available on CuriosityStream,
这个纪录片可以在curiositystraem上获得
which is the sponsor of this video.
他们是这个视频的赞助商
The documentary takes a much deeper look
这个视频从一个更深的视角
into the history of fungi
看待真菌的历史
and their symbiosis with plants,
它们与植物的共生关系
as well as how fungi have revolutionised medicine,
以及真菌给医药带来的革命性颠覆
their many other uses
它们的其他功用
and also the dangers posed by some fungi.
还有接触某些真菌带来的危险
This video was barely able to scratch the surface.
这个视频仅仅涉及到一些皮毛知识
CuriosityStream is an online streaming service
Curiositystream是一个在线流服务
with over 2,400 documentaries and non­fiction titles,
拥有超过2400个纪录片和现实题材影片
with content spanning science, nature, history,
内容涵盖了科学 自然 历史
technology, society, lifestyle and much more.
技术 社会 生活方式等等
Membership starts at just $2.99 a month,
会员费仅需每个月2.99美元
and you can get started completely free with a 31-day trial,
你也可以申请免费试用31天
by signing up at CuriosityStream.com/wonderwhy,
只需在CuriosityStream·com/wonderwhy网站注册
and enter the promo-code “wonderwhy” during the sign-up process.
注册的时候输入优惠码“wonderwhy”即可
A big thank you to CuriosityStream for sponsoring this video,
在此非常感谢curiositystream对本视频的赞助
and for letting me use parts of the documentary in this video.
感谢授权我使用纪录片的一部分到视频中
And as always, thanks for watching, I’ll see you next time.
一如既往的感谢你们观看 下期再会