Fungi-The+Death+Cap

= The Death Cap = =// (Amanita phalloides) //=

** Scientific Classification **
Poison Amanita, Deadly Amanita
 * **Scientific Name** || //Amanita phalloides// ||
 * **Kingdom** || Fungi ||
 * **Phylum** || Basidiomycota ||
 * **Class** || Agaricomycetes ||
 * **Order** || Agaricales ||
 * **Family** || Amanitaceae ||
 * Common names:**

Introduction
The Death Cap is responsible for most of the mushroom poisoning deaths worldwide. The colour of the cap varies and it appears very neat and attractive. In other words, it looks just like a typical mushroom that one can buy at the grocery store. In fact, it resembles Caesar's mushroom and the straw mushroom//(Volvariella volvacea) ,// two common mushrooms consumed by humans. Along with this deceiving appearance, this mushroom has no unpleasant odor or taste that would hint at its deadliness. Being a mycorrhizal species, it was unintentionally brought to the Americas with imported European trees. There is probably no other mushroom as dangerous as the Death Cap among all the known mushroom species.

What does it look like?
In general, they have white gills; their stem is equal to or longer than the diameter of the cap; and the stem has a distinct bulb at the base. In contrast, common mushrooms have pink gills which gradually changes to blackish-brown; their stem is shorter than the diameter of the cap and the stem does not have a bulb at the base.

When young, the cap is bell-shaped. Eventually, the cap flattens as it matures. The surface is sticky when moist and can be smooth or decorated with dispersed scales and markings. The cap, which measures about 1.5 to 5 inches broad, varies in colour. Some are pure-white, yellow, smoky-olive, brown, yellowish-green, and some are blackish. The stalk is usually white and is attached to a cup at the base (volva) and a wide ring on the upper end (annulus). The volva is usually seen but sometimes, they are below ground level. Stalks can be hollow, stuffed, smooth, or scaly and they range from 3 to 6 inches in length and 2 cm in width. The gills are usually white/yellowish-white but sometimes they can have a faint greenish colour. The spores of death caps are 7 to 10 microns in diameter. They are white, glassy, spherical, smooth, and just as poisonous as the mushroom itself. .




 * [[image:http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01739/p_death-cap_1739581c.jpg width="380" height="228" caption="Amanita phalloid that have patches on cap"]] || [[image:http://www.shroomery.org/images/23886/93068-Amanita_phalloides_2.jpg width="400" height="234" caption="Amanita phalloide that have smooth cap"]] ||





Where can it be found?
The death cap is found on the ground in woods, groves, open places and bushy pastures. Some grow in deciduous woodlands, under a variety of hardwoods, especially oak and beech. It can be found in coniferous forests on mountains as well as pastures on edge of woodlands.

It is found mainly in Europe but it also occurs in New Zealand, North America and South Africa (introduced by import of trees).



Biochemistry
The death cap can grow alone or in groups, usually between the months of July and October in Europe. This species is so dangerous that consuming less than 50 g is enough to kill a human. This species contain two main types of toxins: the amatoxins and the phallotoxins. Both of them are ring-shaped peptides. The amatoxins consist of α-amanitin(chief component) and ϐ-amanitin. They inhibit RNA polymerase II which is an important enzyme that helps the body produce messenger RNA. Without mRNA, protein synthesis cannot proceed and thus, cell metabolism stops and the cell dies.

Initially, the effects of consuming the death cap can cause dehydration, nausea, vomiting. As time passes, it results to kidney and liver damage. And evetually the victim dies.

**Facinating Fact:** The RNA polymerase of Amanita phalloides is actually immune to the effects of the amatoxins. This is why the death cap is not affected by its own poison.

To reinforce your knowledge of death caps, watch the following short videos:



 * Just for fun: **

The Associated Press reported (1/8/97):
 * "An outbreak of wild mushroom poisonings has sickened at least nine people in Northern California, with three victims in intensive care Wednesday facing possible liver transplants.
 * The most seriously ill were felled by the "death cap" mushroom, known technically as Amanita phalloides, which can destroy the liver. One victim was Sam Sebastiani Jr., 31, a member of the Sebastiani wine family."

Resources
Taber, R. A., & Taber, W. A. (2010). Fungi. Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 15, 2010, from Grolier Online []

Hall, Ian R.. //Edible and poisonous mushrooms of the world//. Portland: Timber Press, 2003. Print.

Thomas, William Sturgis, and Marie F. Heerkens. //Field guide to mushrooms: based on Field book of common mushrooms//. Rev., updated, and with illustrations and photographs / by Marie F. Heerkens. ed. New York, N.Y.: Sterling Pub. Co., 2003. Print.

Amanita. ( 2010). In //Encyclopædia Britannica.// Retrieved November 13, 2010, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition: [|http://][|school][|.eb.com/] [|eb] [|/] [|article] [|-9006003]

"Death cap - Amanita phalloides - ARKive." //ARKive - discover the world's most endangered species//. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. [].

Image Resources
//Death cap.// (2010). [Photograph]. Retrieved from []

//Amanita phalloides.// (2009). [Photograph]. Retrieved from []

//Death cap structure//. (2010). [Photograph]. Retrieved from []

//Amanita phalloides distribution//. (2010). [Photograph]. Retrieved from []

//Mature death caps.// (2010). [Photograph]. Retrieved from []