Bleeding Tooth Fungus: A Bloody Nightmare

Tryptophobes be warned: If you’re repulsed  by things with small clusters of holes like   sponges or honeycombs, these squishy, pore-filled,   blood-oozing mushies are sure to give you  the heebie-jeebies. Just know that the   reason they are like this is because these  fungi are just going through a phase. Once   they mature, they’ll trigger you no more,  I promise! This is Bleeding Tooth Fungus. Hi! I’m Tasha the Amazon and you’re  watching Floralogic. Today we’re   talking about a fungus known by such  wicked monikers as Devil’s tooth and   Bleeding Tooth. It’s true that Hydnellum  peckii is as metal as mushrooms get. Bleeding tooth fungus grows in old-growth  forest and often mountainous areas of North   America and Eurasia. It belongs to  the Bankeraceae family of fungi,   which comprises 6 genera  and about 100 known species. But none of them have us humans as fascinated   or horrified with a single  glance as Hydnellum peckii. Just like some people, this fungus goes  through a wild phase in its youth. While   it may look beige and boring when it’s mature,  it’s days as a young’un are super metal. The   “tooth” part in their nicknames comes from the  fact that Bleeding Tooth are a hydnoid species,   which means that they have tooth-like  projections that produce spores and   dangle from the underside of the funnel-shaped  mushroom, known also as the fruiting body. But the really metal part about  them is that they cry crimson blood. The “blood” of the bleeding tooth is actually  an extracellular fluid that’s squeezed out when   there’s too much water in the mushroom. If the  ground around the bleeding tooth gets too wet,   water is forced into the roots through osmosis.  When the pressure this additional water causes   gets too great, it squeezes out the crimson  wave through pores in the cap of the mushroom. This process is not unique to bleeding  tooth mushrooms. Lots of other plants   experience guttation, like wheat, barley,  strawberries and other small plants. The bleeding tooth fungus’ juice is red because  the water mixes with a red pigment found within   the mushroom on its way up. There are many  theories about the purpose of the blood,   with some researchers suggesting it  as an attractor for spore-spreading   insects or as a defensive mechanism to  avoid getting eaten by animals. Red is,   after all, one of nature’s vibrant warning  colours that screams “I’m poisonous!”. This oozing only happens to  young bleeding tooth fungi,   which also happen to be covered in a velvety  layer of hair-like structures. Once they mature,   the dramatic bleeding comes to  an end and the velvet falls off,   leaving this fungus as a pretty unspectacular,  smooth and bloodless example of a mushroom. Bleeding tooth mushrooms can be used  as a fabric dye, but surprisingly,   the result is not crimson red as you’d expect,   but rather beige. And it can even be combined  with other substances to make blue-green dyes. The sap of the bleeding tooth mushroom is  still not completely understood but it’s being   investigated for a few of its unique properties  that could be put to good use by us humans. First of all, bleeding tooth fungus contains  the chemical compound atromentin, which works   as an anticoagulant to prevent blood clots, just  like the heparin that is created by our livers,   lungs and other tissues. Atromentin has  also been found to have antibacterial   properties and may even be used to treat  common strains of bacterial pneumonia. While young bleeding tooth mushrooms might  be meant to look toxic, they surprisingly   aren’t… but it’s still not recommended that  you eat them. The extreme bitterness will   have you regretting your decision, even if  it won’t kill you like a death-cap mushroom. Bleeding tooth fungus are part of the  about 10% of fungi that are mycorrhizal,   which means they have a symbiotic association  with the plants that surround them by tapping   into the plant’s root system with  their own root-like mycelia. In   the case of bleeding tooth fungus, this  association is with coniferous trees. Bleeding tooth fungus are actually  known as ectomycorrhizal, meaning   that instead of penetrating the plant’s  root cells like other mycorrhizal species,   the cells of the mycelia actually  form with the cells of the host’s. Mycorrhizal fungi transform minerals  and amino acids in the soil into usable   forms for the plant, helping them better  absorb these nutrients. At the same time,   the trees’ roots provide the fungus with  carbon dioxide, which it uses to grow and   expand its own root-like system called mycelium.  While the mushroom, called the fruiting body,   appears on the surface, the vast majority  of the fungus exists underground. If you see a bleeding tooth fungus, you can  be certain that its massive mycelia stretches   underground up to 3.5 meters away from the  mushroom itself. Recent research has shown   that the vast underground networks that the  mycelium of mycorrhizal fungi store roughly   36% of the entire world’s yearly global fossil  fuel emissions, preventing them from escaping into   the atmosphere and further accelerating global  warming. That’s 13 gigatons of carbon dioxide! Ironically, however, another type of human-made  pollution, called nitrogen pollution, is killing   these essential carbon guardians. When we burn  fossil fuels, it releases nitrogen oxide gas,   which rains down onto forests. Nitrogen  fertilizers, too, which are used in farming,   can find their way into forests also  causing mycorrhizal fungi to disappear. When mycorrhizal fungi, like the bleeding  tooth, disappear, it’s a huge red flag for   scientists that nitrogen pollution is upsetting  the delicate balance of the forest microbiome. Transitioning away from fossil fuels is a  huge step towards ensuring that mycorrhizal   mushrooms can keep doing their essential work  of keeping carbon dioxide out of our atmosphere. So even if you’re trytophobic tendencies  are triggered by this bloody mushie,   just know that it and its brethren are  doing some seriously heavy lifting to   curb climate change. And they  must be protected at all costs! So what should we talk about next?  Drop me your suggestions in the   comments below and don’t forget to subscribe  for new videos every single week! Bye! Hi hi hi hi. That's how he warm up. Yeah,  yeah! You want to do it with me Roomroom?   Roomroom's gonna do it with me. Okay, here we  go. Don't show them just your butt though. Here,   like this. Come here, baby. There, look look  we're talking to the people. Get the people. Yeah,   okay. Nooooo. My cats are going insane. Either sit  on my shoulder or get out. There are many theories   about the purpose of the blood, but with some  researchers... no! No! It's a huge red flag for   scientists that nitrogen pollution is upsetting  the delicate balance of the fire sfifoofofo. Oh   I don't want the fire face for for. With some  researchers suggesting it as in the tractor for   (blabbering) breading insects or as a defensive  mechanism to avoid getting... If you see a bloting   bloting... No you didn't no I didn't have it ah.  Then I'm going to do the second paragraph. Are   you ready? Transitioning away from (blah) So what  should we talk about next drop me (gargling). Bye!

Channel: Animalogic

Views: 65,637

Keywords: animals, animal, logic, education, animalogic, crazy, ugly, weird, gross, beautiful, interesting, facts, about, information, info, school, research, learn, learning, smart, 4k, nature documentary, nature doc, second nature, Trypophobia, Mycology, Fungus, Phobia, Fear, Holes, Patterns, Anxiety, Nature, Bleeding, Tooth, Fungi, Mushrooms, Biology, Psychology, Health, Science, Weird, Creepy, Unusual, Disgust, Reactions, Symptoms, Education, Horror, Bizarre, Botany, Medicine, Parasitic, Infection, Odd, Unique, Growth, Flora, Fauna, Ecosystem, Wildlife

Id: 1-STGJHqHPQ

Length: 31min 53sec (1913 seconds)

Published: Fri May 31 2024