mould question

[giggy500]

what does mould feed on?

[hirschhaus]

mold feeds n grows with moisture

[New Forester]

"Mould" is the growing part of a fungus. Most fungi look much the the same when just growing, whether bread-mould or mushrooms. The mushroom or pin-mould part is the fruiting body. Some also have root-like structures (for example honey-fungus). The mould is a fine mesh (mycelium) of tiny threads (hyphae), usually growing intermingled with the substrate. Non-mould fungi include yeasts, which are single cells, and lichens, which grow as a solid mass and also contain algal cells. All this means that there are nearly as many different moulds as there are species of fungi (tens of thousands at least) -- and they all feed on different things -- wood, soil, dung, living flesh, bread, plant leaves, old feathers, other fungi, blue cheese, damp paper etc etc. The moulds we notice most easily are those which grow on old bread or yoghurt. These are generally not fussy, and will grow on pretty much anything damp with food value, if the temperature is not too low or high and there are no preservatives such as salt, vinegar or saltpetre. They produce digestive enzymes, which help to break down the food (or to our eyes spoil it). The food ones tend to have small fruiting bodies, which are often black, yellow or other bold colours, and produce dusty spores. Some of the spores can affect humans, so don't breathe them too much. You'll notice that mouldy bread or whatever often has many different colours of mould -- these are moulds of different ages and species. Some fungi will tolerate quite harsh conditions, and so can grow for example in the fridge or on salted skins. Incidentally, fungi are now not regarded as plants, but as another kingdom distinct from both plants and animals.