Fungal DNA barcoding
Have you ever seen a puzzle? Each puzzle piece is different, but it can be put together to make a bigger picture. Scientists do something similar with fungi (a type of tiny organism that grows in many places, like mushrooms). They look at the DNA (a special code inside cells that tells them what to do) of different fungi and try to find certain parts that are always the same within each type of fungus.
Just like how all the corners of a puzzle are the same shape, there are certain parts of fungal DNA that are the same within each type. Scientists call these "barcodes." They can use these barcodes to identify what type of fungus they are looking at.
It's kind of like when you learn your ABCs. Each letter is special and different, but they always have the same shape and sound. Scientists can look at a piece of fungal DNA and say, "This is the letter A, so it's from a certain type of fungus."
This is really helpful for scientists who want to study different types of fungi, because they can use the same barcode to identify them all. Just like how you can use the same shape puzzle piece in different puzzles, scientists can use the same fungal barcode to find different types of fungi.
Just like how all the corners of a puzzle are the same shape, there are certain parts of fungal DNA that are the same within each type. Scientists call these "barcodes." They can use these barcodes to identify what type of fungus they are looking at.
It's kind of like when you learn your ABCs. Each letter is special and different, but they always have the same shape and sound. Scientists can look at a piece of fungal DNA and say, "This is the letter A, so it's from a certain type of fungus."
This is really helpful for scientists who want to study different types of fungi, because they can use the same barcode to identify them all. Just like how you can use the same shape puzzle piece in different puzzles, scientists can use the same fungal barcode to find different types of fungi.