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A mold colony does not consist of discrete organisms but is an interconnected network of hyphae called a mycelium. All growth occurs at hyphal tips, with cytoplasm and organelles flowing forwards as the hyphae advance over or through new food sources.
An extension of the sporangiophore called the columella protrudes into the sporangium. The sporangium walls are easily ruptured to release the spores, which germinate readily to form a new mycelium on appropriate substrates. During sexual reproduction, compatible strains form short, specialized hyphae called gametangia. At the point where two ...
A mold spore lands on the food. If the condition is right, the spore begins germinating, growing and forming tiny filaments called hyphae. The hyphae spread, creating a network in the food ...
The forcible discharge of single spores termed ballistospores involves formation of a small drop of water (Buller's drop), which upon contact with the spore leads to its projectile release with an initial acceleration of more than 10,000 g; [106] the net result is that the spore is ejected 0.01–0.02 cm, sufficient distance for it to fall ...
Most of the fungal body consists of microscopic threads, called hyphae, extending through the substrate in which it grows. The mycelia of microfungi produce spores that are carried by the air, spreading the fungus. [citation needed] Many microfungi species are benign, existing as soil saprotrophs, for example, largely unobserved by humans.
The sporangiospores germinate to form the haploid hyphae of a new mycelium. Asexual reproduction often occurs continuously. In heterothallic species, sexual reproduction occurs when opposite mating types (designated + and -) come into close proximity, inducing the formation of specialized hyphae called gametangia .
Mold allergies are present in a minority of the population that is genetically predisposed to mold, and usually this allergy is not life threatening. Black molds, or so called toxic molds, can ...
Spores are formed in the sporangiophore by encasing each haploid nucleus and cytoplasm in a tough outer membrane. During asexual reproduction, these spores are dispersed via wind and germinate into haploid hyphae. [4] Although sexual reproduction in fungi varies between phyla, for some fungi the sporangium plays an indirect role in sexual ...