Mold/Fungi (singular: Fungus), commonly known as mold, are Eukaryotic, Multicellular, Heterotrophic aerobic, and facultative anaerobic organisms. The mode of nutrition of multicellular mold is saprophytic absorption. Most of the fungi reproduce with sexual and asexual spores. Of the more than 100,000 species of fungi, only about 200 species are pathogenic to humans and animals. However, over the last few years, the incident rate for fungal infections is increasing in immuno-compromised people. It also plays a major role in the food chain because they decompose dead plant matter leads to the recycling of vital elements. Hard parts of plants, which animals cannot digest, are primarily decomposed by fungi by the use of extracellular enzymes such as cellulase. Mold is very harmful to the human body for this reason we need to know about Mold Cleaning Tips. So that we can stay always healthy and happy in our daily life.
Characteristics of Fungi:
Multicellular fungi are identified based on the physical appearance of colonies, including colony characteristics and reproductive spores. Fungal colonies are described as vegetative structures because they are composed of the cells involved in catabolism and growth.
Structure of Fungi:
The main body of a fungus (Thallus) consists of long thread-like filaments of cells join together known as Hyphae (singular: hypha). They are of two types if they have walled cross cells known as septate hyphae and if there is no cross wall in filaments called non-septate or coenocytic hyphae. When the condition is favorable to hyphae, they grow and form a filamentous mass called mycelium.
Dimorphic Fungi:
Some fungi, mostly pathogenic species, exhibit dimorphism, also known as two forms of growth. Such types of fungi grow either as a unicellular yeast or multicellular mold. It’s all because of the availability of the environmental and physiological conditions for the mold. Mold like reproduce by hyphae at 37◦C, and the yeast-like forms reproduce by budding at 25◦C.
Life Cycle:
There are two types of reproduction in fungi, sexual, and asexual forms of reproduction. Both occur by the formation of spore. It’s the key factor for the identification of mold.
Sexual Spore:
Sexual spore formed by the result from the fusion of nuclei from two opposite mating strains of the same species of the fungus. For the sexual spore formation, two opposite mating strain is required. Organisms that are reproduced by sexual reproduction have the genetic characteristics of both parental strains.
Asexual Spore
Asexual spores are formed by the hyphae of one organism through mitosis and subsequent cell division. There is no fusion of nuclei of the cells. When they spore, germinate, they become an organism that is genetically identical to the parental organism. There are two types of asexual spores produced by the fungi.
- Condiospore/Conidium: it is a unicellular or can be multicellular spore that is not enclosed in a sac. These spores are attached at a stalk known as conidiophores.
- Sporangiospore: This type of spore is formed within a sac known as sporangium. These spores are at the end of aerial hyphae called sporangiophore. The sporangium can contain hundreds of asexual spores.