Fungi Anaesthesia: Electrical Activity Changes in Pleurotus ostreatus Under Chloroform Exposure
This groundbreaking research reveals that fungi respond to anaesthetics similarly to other living organisms, showing that even organisms without nervous systems can be anaesthetized. The study measured electrical signals in mushroom fungi when exposed to chloroform vapor, demonstrating that the fungi’s electrical activity significantly decreased during anaesthesia and could recover when the anaesthetic was removed. Impacts on everyday life: • Advances our understanding of consciousness and awareness in simple organisms • Could lead to new methods for controlling fungal growth in medical or agricultural applications • Helps develop better preservation techniques for food and materials affected by fungi • Contributes to the development of new biological computing systems • May influence how we handle and process mushrooms in food production