Fungi (singular: fungus) are living things that do not make their own food. Fungi grow on another object. They produce a substance to break down the other object into simpler substances and absorb them as food. This is called decomposing. Fungi can reproduce very quickly through spores. Mushrooms have spores that are found in gills under the cap. When the wind blows, the spores are dispersed. Examples of fungi include mushrooms, yeast and mould.
There are some fungi that are useful, while others are harmful to us. Edible mushrooms are useful since they are food for us. Yeast is another useful fungus as it is commonly used in baking bread to make the dough rise. Bread mould is an example of harmful fungi. Eating mouldy bread can cause us to fall sick. Tempeh is a traditional food made from soybeans mixed with a white fungus. The fungus breaks down the soybeans and makes tempeh highly nutritious.
Bacteria (singular: bacterium) are tiny living things and they come in different shapes and sizes. Scientists developed more powerful microscopes to discover bacteria — they are even smaller than fungi. These living things have special characteristics of their own. Some bacteria are harmful when they cause you to fall sick. There are many bacteria found on your hands, although you cannot see them. That is why you should always wash your hands before you eat. Otherwise, the harmful bacteria will enter your body and make you sick.
There are some bacteria that are useful to us. Bacteria in our body help us to break down food. Yoghurt and yoghurt drinks contain useful bacteria to help keep us healthy. Sir Alexander Fleming was a Scottish researcher who accidentally discovered penicillin in 1928. He observed that mould grew on some dishes of bacteria he was growing. The mould produced a substance that prevented the bacteria from growing. This was the discovery of the world's first antibiotic or bacteria killer. Fungi and bacteria are also living things.