A lichen is a partnership between a fungus and an alga or cyanobacterium.
Why it is true
Lichens are organisms composed of a fungus and an alga or cyanobacterium. The fungus provides shelter and minerals, while the alga produces food through photosynthesis. It is one of the most successful symbioses in nature.
Source: Nature
Would you rather be asked first?
This is the reading side of the site, so the answer is in the sentence above — that is the whole point of it. Test yourself works the other way round: the question comes on its own, and the fact and the explanation only appear once you have answered.
Related facts
A fungus that turns spiders into zombies has been discovered.
The largest living organism in the world is an underground fungus in Oregon.
The Darvaza gas crater, known as the 'Door to Hell', has been burning for over 50 years.
Indonesia's Kawah Ijen volcano erupts with blue lava.
