What's in a Lichen? How Scientists Got It Wrong for 150 Years | Short Film Showcase

What two main organisms were historically believed to form a lichen?

• A single fungus and a green algae

• Two different types of fungi

• A green algae and a cyanobacteria

• A plant and a fungus

What term describes two or more organisms living together in a close relationship?

• Parasitism

• Predation

• Symbiosis

• Competition

Why did Native Americans know not to eat yellow horsehair lichen?

• It was too difficult to harvest from trees.

• It had a very unpleasant taste.

• It contained a toxic acid.

• It was used for medicinal purposes only.

What was the surprising discovery about the composition of lichens that changed scientists' understanding?

• Lichens are actually a type of plant.

• Lichens contain a second, distantly related fungus.

• Lichens can grow up to three feet per year.

• Lichens are able to photosynthesize on their own.