Bread mould. Light micrograph of the bread mould fungus, Rhizopus nigricans. Threads (hyphae) of the mycelium are seen that anchor the fungus in bread

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Bread mould. Light micrograph of the bread mould fungus, Rhizopus nigricans. Threads (hyphae) of the mycelium are seen that anchor the fungus in bread and absorb nutrients. Spores develop in sac- like bodies (sporangia, black), until the walls rupture releasing the spores into the air for wind dispersal. Many spores are visible here, with a ruptured sporangium seen at lower left. Spores that alight on a favourable medium will germinate quickly producing a network of hyphal threads. Rhizopus occurs not only on bread, but on fruit, other foods, all kinds of decaying matter, as a common food spoilage fungus.

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Size: 5130px × 3440px
Photo credit: © CLAUDE NURIDSANY & MARIE PERENNOU/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: bread, eumycota, fungal, fungi, fungus, hyphae, mold, mould, mouldy, mycology, nature, nigricans, rhizopus, sporangium, type