Lichens are symbiotic associations of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner (photobiont) that can produce food for the lichen from sunlight.

The photobiont is usually either green algae or cyanobacteria.

A few lichens are known to contain yellow-green algae or, in one case, a brown alga.

Some lichens contain both green algae and cyanobacteria as photobionts; in these cases, the cyanobacteria symbiont component may specialize in fixing atmospheric nitrogen for metabolic use. The body of most lichens is quite different from that of either the fungus or alga growing separately, and may strikingly resemble simple plants in form and growth..

For more information about the topic Lichen, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:

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At The Fungal Farmer's Market, Only The Best Cyanobacteria Are For Sale (August 24, 2009) — Lichens are the classic example of a symbiotic relationship. Both the fungal and photobiont components of the lichen benefit from the relationship and often are unable to survive without each other. ...  > read more

Lichens Are Surprisingly Precise Air Quality Monitors, BYU Father-Son Team Finds (December 26, 2002) — Lichens, combinations of fungi and algae, are quietly trodden underfoot by animals and hikers the world over. Now a new study by a Brigham Young University father-son team has demonstrated that ...  > read more

New Species Of Lichen Named After President Barack Obama (April 16, 2009) — A lichen expert has discovered a new species of lichen, and named it after President Obama. He discovered the new species while doing a survey for lichen diversity on Santa Rosa Island, Calif. He ...  > read more

Important Pathogens And Cures Belong To Little-Known Group Of Fungi; Research Points Way To Discovering Other Agents (June 29, 2001) — Researchers studying medicinal, pharmacological, antibiotic, carcinogenic and food-production agents would do well to look at an often-overlooked group of fungi that once had -- but then lost -- the ...  > read more

Researcher Turns Brown Algae Phylogeny Upside Down (July 2, 2002) — According to fellow phycologists, algae expert Stefan Draisma from the Leiden University has turned brown algae phylogeny completely upside down. His research shows that few of the currently assumed ...  > read more

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