Introduction to Kingdom Fungi and how to grow Bread Mold at Home

Fungi (singular fungus) is a group of multicellular or unicellular eukaryotic organisms that exhibits a heterotrophic mode of nutrition and includes yeasts, molds, toadstools, and mushrooms. This kingdom includes about 100,000 species and is further classified based on their structure and mode of reproduction.

Basic characteristics of Fungi

Eukaryotic (presence of well-defined nucleus and have membrane-bound organelles).

The vegetative body is made up of long, branching filamentous structures called hyphae that help them to absorb nutrients. Network or a group of hyphae are called mycelium (Exception: Yeast is unicellular and do not produce hyphae)

Achlorophyllous (chlorophyll is absent), thus they cannot make their food.

Fungi exhibit a heterotrophic mode of nutrition, they feed themselves by the absorption of nutrients. Fungi are either saprophytic (obtain food from the dead and decaying matter), parasitic (depend on another living host), or symbiotic (live in a mutually beneficial relationship with other organisms)

Non-Vascular (conducting tissues xylem and phloem is absent).

The cell wall is presently made up of complex polysaccharide chitin and glucans. The cell wall prevents desiccation and protects it from predators.

The most common method of reproduction in fungi is by producing spores. Fungi produce two main types of asexual spores, sporangiospores, and conidia. Sexual spores produced in fungi are ascospores, basidiospores, and Zoospores.

Fungi exhibit alternation of generation and thus have both haploid and diploid stages during their life cycle.

 HOW TO GROW BREAD MOLD

Mold is a fungus that is multinucleated, filamentous, and composed of hyphae. These thrive in warm and moist conditions, reproduce employing spores, and can be black, green, orange, or purple. The spores of the mold are carried by the wind and when they land on a suitable surface, they begin to grow. To grow mold, the following materials are required:

1.     Bread slice.

2.     Transparent sealable bag or container.

3.     A spray bottle.

Procedure

Take a slice of bread and with the help of a spray bottle, lightly spray the bread with a coat of mist or place the bread in the sealable bag along-with a wet paper towel. Seal the plastic bag and place the bread in a warm and moist condition. The mold is heterotrophic and gets its food from the starch of the bread (breaks down starch into simple sugars). After 3-4 days, you will observe mold growth on the bread.