Science Photo of the Day
Lichens are actually two different organisms living together. One is a fungus, and the other can be either an algae or a cyanobacterium. Since it is made up of two different organisms, how do lichens reproduce?
Very good! New lichens are formed in two different ways. When they are dry, they become brittle, and it is easy for pieces to break free. Those pieces can be carried by wind, water, animals, etc. If the pieces come to rest in a good spot, it will grow into another lichen.
The fungus part of the lichen also reproduces by producing spores. If a spore lands in a good spot, and if there are either algae or cyanobacteria of the right type in the same spot, they will join together to form a new lichen.
lichen reproduction
Lichen make new plants by spores but that only makes the fungus part grow. For both the algal and the fungal part to grow, they have to give off isidia and soredium, or something like that! The soredium is algal cells wrapped in fungus filaments and the isidia are like the soredium except they have more protective tissue and are more like lichen to begin with.
Abbie wants to know: are lichen plants or animals?
Good question Abbie! Way
Good question Abbie! Way back when I was in school, biology books classified living things into plants and animals, but now living things are classified into quite a few different groups.
Part of the lichen is fungus, which is a separate group of organisms, neither a plant nor an animal. The other part can be green algae (which some sources consider plants, and others consider another separate group of organisms) or cyanobacteria (which are bacteria, another group of organisms.)
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