Mushroom toxicity

The term mushroom refers to the fungal fruiting body. Anatomically, the prototypical mushroom comprises the stem and a cap with gills on the underside. However, the term may refer to many stemless gilled fungi with varying forms such as the morel, puffball, or stinkhorn. The gills of the mushroom produce spores which aid in the propagation of the fungus itself. Humans have consumed mushrooms since prehistory. Mushroom toxicity has also been known for millennia and is implicated in the death of several historical figures, including the Roman Emperor Claudius. Today most mushrooms are farmed commercially, but foraging for mushrooms is on the rise as a recreational endeavor. Mushroom poisonings can occur because of forager misidentification of a poisonous species as edible, although many cases are intentional ingestions. Mushroom poisonings may range from benign symptoms of generalized gastrointestinal upset to potentially devastating manifestations which include liver failure, kidney failure, and neurologic sequelae. There are up to 14 described syndromes, which manifest depending on the species, toxins, and amount ingested