TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Medical Mycology A1 - Riedel, Stefan A1 - Hobden, Jeffery A. A1 - Miller, Steve A1 - Morse, Stephen A. A1 - Mietzner, Timothy A. A1 - Detrick, Barbara A1 - Mitchell, Thomas G. A1 - Sakanari, Judy A. A1 - Hotez, Peter A1 - Mejia, Rojelio Y1 - 2019 N1 - T2 - Jawetz, Melnick, & Adelberg's Medical Microbiology, 28e AB - Mycology is the study of fungi, which are eukaryotic organisms that evolved in tandem with the animal kingdom. However, unlike animals, most fungi are nonmotile and possess a rigid cell wall. Unlike plants, fungi are nonphotosynthetic. Approximately 80,000 species of fungi have been described, but only about 400 are medically important, and less than 50 are responsible for more than 90% of the fungal infections of humans and other animals. Rather, most species of fungi are beneficial to humankind. They reside in nature and are essential in breaking down and recycling organic matter. Some fungi greatly enhance our quality of life by contributing to the production of food and spirits, including cheese, bread, and beer. Other fungi have served medicine by providing useful bioactive secondary metabolites, such as antibiotics (eg, penicillin) and immunosuppressive drugs (eg, cyclosporine). Fungi have also been exploited by geneticists and molecular biologists as model systems for the investigation of a variety of eukaryotic processes, including cellular growth and development. Overall, fungi exert their greatest economic impact as phytopathogens; the agricultural industry sustains huge crop losses every year because of fungal diseases of rice, corn, grains, and other plants. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/29 UR - accesspharmacy.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1163284713 ER -