Chapter 3 



RESPIRATION 



Present-day concepts of the process of respiration in plants 

 come largely from studies with green plants rather than chloro- 

 phyll-less ones. It would appear that respiration among fungi 

 is worthy of more extended study than it has been accorded in 

 the past and that much of value should result from a better under- 

 standing of this subject. Just as in green plants, respiration is 

 manifested by the disappearance of food substances within the 

 cells with resultant liberation of energy, by the absorption of 

 oxygen, and by the excretion of carbon dioxide. Many other 

 products besides carbon dioxide are excreted by funei. Quite a 

 goodly number of these products are of economic importance, 

 and in consequence fungi have been utilized industrially. This 

 matter will be given special consideration in Chapter 4, which 

 deals with the biochemistry of fungi. 



HISTORICAL MATERIAL 



Aluch information of value concerning the respiration of fungri 

 has come from the gradual acquisition of knowledge regarding the 

 respiratory process commonly known as fermentation. This phe- 

 nomenon was undoubtedly known to the ancients lone before the 

 days of written records. Although no attempt will be made to 

 give an elaborate historical summary of the growth of information 

 concerning fermentation, a few of the prominent landmarks 

 should be indicated in order that the complex nature of this bio- 

 logical process may be better understood. Among the early 

 workers who contributed to scientific knowledge of fermentation 

 was Fabbroni (1787), from studies of wine making. He believed 

 that the sugar was decomposed by material of a glutenous vege- 

 table-animal nature that was contained within the grapes. When 

 the grapes were crushed, the glutenous material was free to in- 

 duce fermentation. He showed that air was not essential to the 



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