Mold
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
- For other uses, see Mold (disambiguation).
Molds, or moulds, are various fungi that cover surfaces as fluffy mycelia and usually produce masses of asexual, or sometimes sexual, spores. The molds are not an actual taxonomic or phylogenetic grouping – they can be found in the divisions Zygomycota, Deuteromycota and Ascomycota.
The presence of mold usually implies decay, although some molds are used deliberately; for example in cheese making, and for the production of antibiotics derived from the organisms' natural defenses against bacteria.
The numerous spores released by mold do not cause that much harm in humans, but the hyphae grown from those spores can attach to cells along the respiratory tract and cause problems in those with weak immunity.
Mold is often a problem in damp areas such as basements and bathrooms, and after floods. It can be seen on surfaces of walls, but also grows deep within, and produces a distinctive dusty, slightly pungent smell. It grows on food in closed containers, even in refrigerators.
The mold Neurospora crassa is commonly used as a model organism in scientific experiments.
See also
- toxic mold, Mycotoxin, Aflatoxin
- slime mould, water mould
- yeasts are a family of fungi closely related to molds.
- foods produced using cultured molds: cheese, tempeh, Quorn, famous black tea Pu-erh and some sausages
- indoor air quality
- mildew
