Question
Question: Complete the statements using the right option from those given below. Explain the statement. (Myc...
Complete the statements using the right option from those given below. Explain the statement.
(Mycotoxins, budding, rhizobium)
Toxins of fungal origin are called _______.
Solution
Toxins are often small molecules, peptides, or proteins that are capable of causing disease on contact with or absorption by body tissues or by interacting with biological macromolecules like enzymes or cellular receptors.
Complete answer:
Toxins of fungal origin are called mycotoxins. Mycology is the branch of microbiology that deals with the study of fungi.
The effects of some food-borne mycotoxins are acute with symptoms of severe illness appearing quickly after consumption of food products contaminated with mycotoxins. Other mycotoxins occurring in food are linked to long-term effects on health, including the induction of cancers and immune deficiency.
Of the several hundred mycotoxins identified so far, a few dozen have gained the foremost attention due to their severe effects on human health and their occurrences in food.
It is important to notice that mould that produces mycotoxins can grow on a spread of various crops and foodstuffs and may penetrate deep into food and don't just grow on the surface. Mould usually doesn't grow in properly dried and stored foods, so efficient drying of commodities and maintenance of the dry state, or proper storage, is an efficient measure against mould growth and therefore the production of mycotoxins.
Note:
Although mycotoxins are chemical compounds that appear as residues in food, they're considered biological hazards rather than chemical hazards because their presence may be a direct consequence of fungal contamination occurring at some point within the system.