Many fungi form a distinctive body called a .

Many fungi form a distinctive body called a mycelium. Mycelium is the main part of a fungus and it is made up of a mass of interwoven, thread-like hyphae known as shiro. Fungi reproduce by spores and it is the spores that germinate to produce shiro. Mycelium may be microscopic in size or it may grow into large structures such as mushrooms, toadstools and stinkhorns. Fungi absorb nutrients from their environment through the mycelium.