The use of fungi in making medicine is-
(i) Agraricus is used as an ideal food for diabetics as it is low in sugar and fat.
(ii) It improves the immune system of the body.
(iii) Agraricus boosts immunity of pregnant mother and baby.
(iv) Agraricus contains lovastatin, entadenine and iritadenine. It lowers cholesterol in the body and controls high blood pressure and heart disease.
(v) Magic mushroom contains psilocin and psilocybin. Psilosin and psilocybin are the main components of hallucinogens. Hallucinogens relieve the body of depression.
(vi) Prevents cancer and tumors due to its high fiber content.

Agraricus increases soil fertility by decomposing plant and animal carcasses.

Mushrooms are used as popular food in different countries of the world. It is sold fresh and dried in the market. It is rich in vitamins, minerals and proteins. Mushroom soup is a popular dish. A few species of Wester mushroom Volvariella and Straw mushroom Pleurotus are cultivated in Bangladesh. Agraricus brunnescens (A.bisporus) is widely cultivated in America and Europe. Agraricus campestris and Agraricus bisporus, widely used in food list, are of high quality and delicious.

1. As food: Mushrooms are used as popular food in different countries of the world. It is sold fresh and dried in the market. It is rich in vitamins, minerals and proteins. Mushroom soup is a popular dish. A few species of Wester mushroom Volvariella and Straw mushroom Pleurotus are cultivated in Bangladesh. Agraricus brunnescens (A.bisporus) is widely cultivated in America and Europe. Agraricus campestris and Agraricus bisporus, widely used in food list, are of high quality and delicious.
2. Increases soil fertility: Agraricus increases soil fertility by decomposing plant and animal carcasses.
3. Making medicine: The use of fungi in making medicine is-
(i) Agraricus is used as an ideal food for diabetics as it is low in sugar and fat.
(ii) It improves the immune system of the body.
(iii) Agraricus boosts immunity of pregnant mother and baby.
(iv) Agraricus contains lovastatin, entadenine and iritadenine. It lowers cholesterol in the body and controls high blood pressure and heart disease.
(v) Magic mushroom contains psilocin and psilocybin. Psilosin and psilocybin are the main components of hallucinogens. Hallucinogens relieve the body of depression.
(vi) Prevents cancer and tumors due to its high fiber content.
4. Vitamins: Thiamin, riboflavin, vitamins C, D, K and pantothenic acid are available from fresh mushrooms.
5. Earning foreign exchange: Mushrooms are very expensive food in different countries of the world. Foreign exchange can be earned by growing and exporting mushrooms extensively.
6. Elimination of unemployment: Many people have been employed by mushroom cultivation. Mushroom industry has developed in Savar and Manikganj of Bangladesh. 780 million pounds of mushrooms are grown in the United States each year.
7. Anti-pollution: Agaricus is used to remove industrial waste, oil and pesticides from the environment.
8. Poverty alleviation: Mushroom cultivation is a labor intensive cottage industry. The men and women of the family are cultivating mushrooms together. Family poverty is eliminated. Many mushroom industries have developed in Savar and Manikganj.

The fruiting bodies of fungi of the class Basidiomycetes are called basidiocarps. Agaricus is a fungus of the class Basidiomycetes. Hence the fruit body of Agaricus is called basidiocarp. It consists of two parts. Stipe and fruit body. The unbranched stem-like part is called stipe. The circular portion above the stipe is called the annulus. The umbrella-like swelling is called the pileus. It has gills at the base of its digits. Swallow contains basidia. Basidium contains basidiospores. According to scientist Hawker (Hawker, 1966), a basidiocarp can produce about 1.8 billion basidiospores.

The outermost region of gill is called hymenium. This region contains paraphyses and basidia cells. Paraphyses are slender and sterile cells or filaments. Basidia are thick and fertile cells. Each basidium has 4 narrow sterigmata. Each sterigma contains 1 round or oval basidiospore. Basidiospores germinate to form new mycelium.

The region on either side of the trama is called sub-hymenium. The cells in this region are small, round and have 2-3 nuclei. Such arrangement of cells is called progenchyma. Mace-shaped basidia are formed from this region.

The sterile region in the middle of the gill is called trama. Cells in this region are long, dense and multinucleate (dikaryotic).

The umbrella-like swelling at the tip of the stipe is called the pileus. When young the pileus is covered with a membranous covering called velum. Its diameter is 5.0-12.5 cm. Its surface is smooth but its digits are uneven. There are several leaf-like parts at the base of the digit. It is called Gill. Each pileus contains 300-500 gills. Immature gills are pink in color and mature gills are red-yellow or red-pink in color. Each swallow has three parts. These are-
(i) Trama : The sterile region in the middle of the gill is called trama. Cells in this region are long, dense and multinucleate (dikaryotic).
(ii) Sub-hymenium : The region on either side of the trama is called sub-hymenium. The cells in this region are small, round and have 2-3 nuclei. Such arrangement of cells is called progenchyma. Mace-shaped basidia are formed from this region.
(iii) Hymenium : The outermost region of gill is called hymenium. This region contains paraphyses and basidia cells. Paraphyses are slender and sterile cells or filaments. Basidia are thick and fertile cells. Each basidium has 4 narrow sterigmata. Each sterigma contains 1 round or oval basidiospore. Basidiospores germinate to form new mycelium.

The unbranched stem-like part arising from the mycelium is called stipe. It is 5-8 cm long. It bears pileus. The circular portion at the head of the stipe is called the annulus. It forms the connection between the stipe and the pileus.