Black bread mold facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black bread mold |
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Black bread mold (Rhizopus stolonifer) is a very common type of fungus. You might have seen it growing on old bread or fruit. It looks like fuzzy patches, often with tiny black dots. These black dots are actually tiny balls filled with spores, which are like the mold's seeds.
Contents
How Black Bread Mold Grows
Black bread mold grows in a special way. When a tiny mold spore lands on a piece of bread or fruit, it starts to grow. It sends out small, root-like threads called hyphae. These hyphae are not true roots, but they help the mold absorb nutrients from the food.
All these hyphae together form the main body of the mold, which is called the mycelium. The mycelium grows inside the food, so you often see only the fuzzy part on the surface. Black bread mold likes to grow quickly when the temperature is between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius.
How Mold Makes More Mold
Black bread mold can make more of itself in two main ways:
Asexual Reproduction
This is the most common way mold spreads. The mold makes special sacs called sporangia. Inside each sporangium, many tiny spores are formed. When these spores are ready, the sporangium breaks open. The spores are so light that they float away in the air, like tiny dust particles. If they land on a new piece of food, they can start growing into new mold.
Sexual Reproduction
Sometimes, two different mold threads (hyphae) from Rhizopus can join together. When they fuse, they form a round ball called a zygospore. After a while, this zygospore can also grow a sporangium, which then releases new spores. This process helps the mold create new combinations of its genetic material, making it stronger or better able to survive.
Where You Can Find Black Bread Mold
Black bread mold is found all over the world. It loves to grow on bread and soft fruits like bananas and grapes. Since its spores float easily through the air, the mold can spread very quickly from one place to another.
Images for kids
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R. stolonifer colonizing a strawberry.
See Also
In Spanish: Rhizopus stolonifer para niños
