Fungi : Plants or Fungi?

[KeenTeen17]

just wondering if fungi are classed as plants or as a separate organism altogether. Do their cells have cell walls like plants because that could be a way to distinguish between them

[Chris Yeates]

hi KT

check out this on Wikipedia Eukaryote - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia particularly the "phylogenetic tree" towards the bottom of the page - it's a salutory lesson in how insignificant the 'animals' are in the great complex of life and shows how it's really the bacteria than run this planet!

and then take it from there (this part of Wikipedia is reliable at least )

fungi are definitely not plants, but unfortunately the situation is made more complicated by the fact that mycologists also study things like slime-moulds (not remotely related to fungi) and downy mildews (which are not really fungi at all)

good luck - it's a fascinating area

cheers

Chris