Scanning electron micrograph of a bread mould, Mucor mucedo, growing on the surface of a slice of bread. Spores circulate freely in the air. When they

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Scanning electron micrograph of a bread mould, Mucor mucedo, growing on the surface of a slice of bread. Spores circulate freely in the air. When they alight on a favourable medium, they germinate an extensive network of hyphae (threads), the function of which is to absorb nourishment for growth & for the production of spores. Spores may be borne in saclike structures called sporangia (globular structure). They are carried at the ends of specialised hyphae called sporangiophores. As the spores mature the wall breaks up, releasing them for dispersal by the wind. Magnification X600 (at 10x8 size).

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Size: 4891px × 3448px
Photo credit: © DR JEREMY BURGESS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: bread, eumycota, fungal, fungi, fungus, hyphae, mold, mould, mouldy, mucedo, mucor, mycology, nature, naturemycology, sem, sporangiophore, sporangium