BIOL 250 - Mycology: Study of Mushrooms

The scientific study of fungi, known as mycology, includes mushrooms, but goes beyond mushrooms to include shelf fungi, morels and relatives, puffballs and relatives, coral fungi, lion’s mane, and many lesser-known organisms classified in Kingdom Fungi. This non-majors course will utilize the fall (and summer) growing season(s) for field labs that will include identification, harvest, ecology, and cultural knowledge, along with in laboratory observation, analysis, experimentation, and preservation. The course will also teach students how to cultivate edible and medicinal mushrooms under controlled conditions in preparation for possible jobs in the mushroom cultivation and culinary industries of Michigan. The empirical scientific methods grounded in both macroand microscopic observation, along with ecological field observations allows the students in this course to gain natural science competency through hands-on learning by an expert in the discipline of study.
Level: UG
Credit Hours: 4

Ferris Equivalencies:

Department: BIOL