Glomus intraradices: The Ubiquitous Fungus
This website is a part of a larger project called Multiple Organisms at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. More information can be found about this project as well as more information about other organisms at the Multiple Organisms website.
Glomus intraradices is found in almost every type of soil. It is part of group of organisms called arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). AMF forms a mutualistic relationship with over 80% of the known land plant species. Along with many interesting interactions, Glomus intraradices has unique form and functions such as the ability to infiltrate the epidermis of plant roots, as well as a mysterious life cycle. Unlike many of the mushrooms you know such as the popular mushroom the yellow morel, Glomus intraradices does not form a fruiting body that can be seen above ground. Instead it forms gigaspores that can contain hundreds of nuclei within one cell.
Below is a video from Yoshihiro Kobae's web page of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi transporting nutrients to the root of a plant. The red is the nutrient being transported into the cells of the plants root. If you want to see more videos like this one, please visit Yoshihiro Kobae's web page.
To learn more about Glomus intraradices and the organisms it relates to, click the classification link below.