類別

植物與真菌（真菌）

參賽者

魏佳玲、黃嘉芃

作品名稱

小人！退散！Beware of the Villain!

科學圖說 Scientific introduction

大自然是不是因為人類濫砍濫伐而生氣了呢？否則怎會做出一個身上插滿大頭針的小人！友人開玩笑地說道。圖中的小人是一種名為炭角菌的真菌，雖然已完成繁衍後代的使命，且菌體呈腐朽狀態，卻另類地為黏菌（大頭針）扮演著梯子的功能，讓它們可以爬得更高，讓孢子得以傳播得更遠。黏菌是一群小巧可愛的「生物」，在變形體時期可以到處走動並掠食，等到營養足夠，便進入子實體時期，此時不再移動，而是專注於繁衍後代。

Is Nature angry at us due to our destructive habits? Otherwise, why would it create a villain with large pins all over its body? This is something that a friend said in jest, but does hold a lesson. This image presents the Xylaria fungus. It has completed its mission of propagation, and its body is showing signs of decay. The large pin-like structures are slime mold, which appears to form a ladder, allowing spores to be disseminated farther. Slime molds are a group of small organisms. During morphogenesis, they can move and find food. When there are not enough nutrients, they enter the fruiting body phase, in which they no longer move, but are instead focused on propagating the next generation.