Fungi

Fungi (plural: fungus) is a kingdom of eukaryotic organisms which are defined different than animals and plants is that they have chitin in their cell walls. Notable examples of fungi are molds, mushrooms, and yeasts. It does not include slime molds or water molds, which are structurally similar but genetically unrelated.

Fungi, like animals, are heterotrophs; they acquire their food by absorbing dissolved molecules, typically by secreting digestive enzymes into their environment. In real life, fungi do not photosynthesize. Growth is their means of mobility, except for spores (a few of which are flagellated), which may travel through the air or water. On Earth, fungi are the principal decomposers in ecological systems. Interestingly, despite their appearance and very nature, fungi are actually genetically more closely related to animals than they are to plants.