The Botanical Sage

11/04/2025

🎈🎈

11/03/2025

10/26/2025

Mushrooms share more DNA with humans than with plants

It sounds unbelievable, but science confirms it. Mushrooms are genetically closer to humans than to plants. Though they may look like plants, fungi belong to a completely separate branch of life that split from animals about 1.1 billion years ago. At the cellular and biochemical level, mushrooms have more in common with people than with the trees they grow beside.

Both humans and fungi store energy as glycogen, not starch like plants do. Fungi also produce chitin, a tough compound found in insect shells, and breathe in oxygen while releasing carbon dioxide just as we do. Studies show that almost 50 percent of human DNA matches certain fungi species. Some even respond to stress and communicate through chemical signals that resemble the way human cells send messages inside the body.

This discovery is far more than a scientific curiosity. It is opening doors to new medicines, materials, and technologies. Compounds from mushrooms such as psilocybin are being studied for their ability to treat depression, PTSD, and addiction. The root-like network of fungi, called mycelium, is inspiring researchers to create eco-friendly materials that could replace plastics, clean polluted soil, and even build sustainable homes. Mycelium’s self-organizing structure is also guiding breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and neural networks.

Learning about fungi means learning about ourselves. These ancient organisms remind us how deeply connected all life on Earth truly is. Every mushroom sprouting from the ground tells a story of shared ancestry, biological creativity, and the endless power of evolution.

So the next time you see a mushroom in the forest, remember that it is not just a plant. It is one of our oldest and most fascinating relatives, quietly working to sustain life on this planet.

10/24/2025

Big shout out to my newest top fans! 💎

Drop a comment to welcome them to our community,

10/24/2025

10/23/2025