Mycorrhiza
symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a vascular plant / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A mycorrhiza (Greek for fungus roots) is a symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a plant.[1][2][3]
In a mycorrhiza, the fungus lives inside the plant roots, and in the earth. The fungal hyphae are more efficient than plant roots at absorbing nutrients.[4]
Mycorrhizas are important for plant growth in many ecosystems. At least 80% of all land plant species (and over 90% of families) have mycorrhiza.[5][6] They depend on it for survival.[4] They are the most common symbionts in the plant kingdom: they involve about 6000 species of fungi and 240,000 species of plants.[6]
Mycorrhizas are divided onto two main types: ectomycorrhiza and endomycorrhiza. The hyphae of ectomycorrhizal fungi do not penetrate individual cells within the root, while the hyphae of endomycorrhizal fungi penetrate the cell wall and invaginate[7] the cell membrane.
The mycorrhizal symbiosis is ancient, dating to at least 400 million years ago.[8]
Wood Wide Web is a term used for mycorrhizal networks in forests.