When purchasing mushrooms in markets, the fungus generally remains alive for a certain period. The mushroom cells, even after being harvested and transported to the point of sale, maintain their metabolic functions, utilizing the energy reserves they accumulated during their development.
In certain circumstances, it is possible to harvest a fungus and cultivate it elsewhere. If the conditions and substrate are adequate, it can absorb nutrients and continue growing normally. Nelson Menolli Jr., a professor at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of São Paulo (IFSP), made an analogy with plant growth, explaining that the process is similar to taking a piece of a plant to create a cutting, since its cells remain viable and alive.
However, if the fungus is not cultivated, cellular activity will gradually decrease, leading to the beginning of the mushroom's deterioration process. An immediate method to stop cellular activity is cooking the mushroom; heat causes damage to proteins, membranes, and other structures. Even after this process, the tissue remains fit for consumption.
It is important to note that the mushroom itself represents only a section of the fungus and does not constitute the entire organism. It is a structure generated by certain fungi as part of their reproductive cycle. Most of the fungal body is located under the substrate where it developed, whether in wood or soil. This hidden portion that forms the fungal body is composed of a vast network of microscopic filaments called mycelium.
This situation can be compared to an amputated limb: even if this specific part perishes, the rest of the organism remains alive.