Biology 11 – Unifying Concepts of Biology
Activity 1.1 – A Fairy Ring
Question: One day, your friend sees this image of a circle of mushrooms and excitedly
tells you it was caused by fairies dancing in a circle on the grass the night before. Can
your friend’s explanation be studied using the process of science? Why or why not?
Provide a detailed explanation.
We all know that fairies are magical or supernatural beings. They are the subject
of folktales passed from generation to generation. The name “fairy ring” comes from an
old folk-tale as well. However in real life, we have never seen fairies creating this ring thus
they cannot be studied using scientific tools. That is why my friend’s explanation cannot
be studied using the process of science.
On the other hand, this ring can be explained by science supported by strong
evidence. Fairy rings are found in open grassy places and in forests. In grass, the best
known fairy ring fungus has the scientific name Marasmius oreades. The body of this
fungus, its mycelium, is underground. It grows outward in a circle. As it grows, the
mycelium uses up all of the nutrients in the soil, starving the grass. This is the reason a
fairy ring has dead grass over the growing edge of the mycelium. Umbrella-shaped fruiting
bodies, called mushrooms, spring up from just behind the outer edge of the mycelium.
The organism itself is actually a full circle, which is not at all a curious shape for an
organism—but it appears as a ring because the only visible part is the perimeter that
shoots up mushrooms above ground. This explanation can be evaluated with repeated
observations over time using chemical soil tests and other verifiable measurements.
Activity 1.1 – A Fairy Ring
Question: One day, your friend sees this image of a circle of mushrooms and excitedly
tells you it was caused by fairies dancing in a circle on the grass the night before. Can
your friend’s explanation be studied using the process of science? Why or why not?
Provide a detailed explanation.
We all know that fairies are magical or supernatural beings. They are the subject
of folktales passed from generation to generation. The name “fairy ring” comes from an
old folk-tale as well. However in real life, we have never seen fairies creating this ring thus
they cannot be studied using scientific tools. That is why my friend’s explanation cannot
be studied using the process of science.
On the other hand, this ring can be explained by science supported by strong
evidence. Fairy rings are found in open grassy places and in forests. In grass, the best
known fairy ring fungus has the scientific name Marasmius oreades. The body of this
fungus, its mycelium, is underground. It grows outward in a circle. As it grows, the
mycelium uses up all of the nutrients in the soil, starving the grass. This is the reason a
fairy ring has dead grass over the growing edge of the mycelium. Umbrella-shaped fruiting
bodies, called mushrooms, spring up from just behind the outer edge of the mycelium.
The organism itself is actually a full circle, which is not at all a curious shape for an
organism—but it appears as a ring because the only visible part is the perimeter that
shoots up mushrooms above ground. This explanation can be evaluated with repeated
observations over time using chemical soil tests and other verifiable measurements.
