prompter: I heard that mushrooms aren't plants per say... They still look very vegetal to me, can you help me understand?

assistant: It depends on your personal definition of mushrooms.
As it is usual for any science, there are many exceptions to the following rules, with plants exhibiting one or more structures or elements that should belong in a fungus or vice versa, usually an evolutionary tree will tend to place a given species as either a plant or a fungus with parallel evolution or symbiosis or parasitism muddying the clear lines.
But on average it can be said that:
• If you consider mushrooms to be "the stalk with the hat" and nothing else, then those are most similar in purpose to fruits of the actual fungus, which is usually underground, and is most similar to molds.
• The fungus itself usually has a cellular structure vaguely similar to plants, but uses chitin instead of cellulose as the barrier between cells.
• A fungus usually does not rely on chlorophyll or other means to produce its own food from raw ingredients, but processes existing food via digestion.
• A fungus usually uses spores to reproduce, instead of having specialized structures like seeds and pollen.
• Finally a fungus normally stores food via Glycogen, while plants normally use Starch.

prompter: Can you explain what glycogen and starch are, and why fungi and plants use different forms for storage?

assistant: Sure! 

Glycogen and starch are both types of polysaccharides, which are long chains of sugar molecules. Glycogen is the form of glucose storage in animals, while starch is the form of glucose storage in plants.

Fungi, on the other hand, can use both forms of glucose storage depending on the species. Some fungi store glucose as glycogen, while others store it as starch.

The reason why plants and fungi use different forms of glucose storage likely has to do with their evolutionary histories and the specific needs of their respective lifestyles. Plants are sessile organisms that rely on starch as a long-term energy reserve to support growth and reproduction. Fungi, on the other hand, are heterotrophic organisms that obtain nutrients from a variety of sources, including dead organic matter. This flexibility may allow them to use either glycogen or starch depending on their environmental conditions and nutrient availability.

Overall, the different forms of glucose storage used by fungi and plants likely reflect adaptations to their unique lifestyles and nutritional requirements.

assistant: Sure! Glycogen and starch are both complex carbohydrates used for energy storage. Glycogen is the primary storage form of glucose in animals and fungi, while plants store their excess glucose as starch. The reason for this difference is likely due to evolutionary adaptations to their respective environments and lifestyles. Glycogen allows rapid release of glucose when in need of energy, which is important for animals and fungi that need to move quickly to escape predators or capture prey. On the other hand, starch is more stable and long-term storage form of glucose that can provide sustained energy over a longer period of time, which is more beneficial for stationary plants that rely on photosynthesis for energy.

assistant: Mushrooms aren't really plants the are fungi, that have a "plantlike" form - with a stem and cap (they have cell walls as well). This is really just the "flower or fruit" of the mushroom - the reproductive part which disperses the spores. 
While plants are producers, using the energy of the sun to make seeds, cones, and spores to reproduce, fungi are decomposers that break down decaying matter. Fungi create a fruiting body, the part of the mushroom we see above ground that release spores to reproduce. Plants and fungi share in common that both are naturally organized into communities called biomes. Biomes are large geographic regions defined by climate conditions such as light, temperature, and precipitation.

prompter: Can you explain that in simpler terms, my head is spinning right now!

assistant: The fungi kingdom is more closely related to the animal kingdom then the plant kingdom, this can partly be seen by the fact that they breathe in oxygen and out carbon dioxide just like animals and humans do. It is also shown by the fact that both animals and fungi can not photosynthesise like plants. They have to consume other organisms to survive. There are also many similarities on the microscopic level.

prompter: Could you tell me what similarities there are on the microscopic level?