Chapier 



6 



Molds as Metabolic Models 



By JACKSON W. FOSTER 



To persons cognizant of the enormous 

 numbers and of the infinite heterogeneity of fungi, the 

 futility of an attempt to discourse on the broad subject 

 of metabolism of fungi is obvious. The vast majority of 

 significant studies of fungal metabolism, however, have 

 been done on "lower," or filamentous fungi (the molds). 

 Consequently, the scope of this paper is automatically 

 restricted; even so, only isolated aspects of the subject can 

 be taken up effectively. My purpose is to reflect on the 

 implications that certain studies on fungi have for issues 

 which possess biological importance far beyond the im- 

 mediate fact of their elucidation in fungi. 



Before taking up the more technical features of this dis- 

 cussion, I should like to venture a few personal viewpoints 

 relative to mold metabolism as a field of study. Frequently 

 one sees evidence of an implicit assumption that training 

 in technical mycology is a prerequisite for investigations 

 on metabolism of fungi and that, lacking this, one had best 

 avoid contending with these organisms. Though this as- 

 sumption undoubtedly is valid for classical mycology, 

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