Question 1. Where does mold settle?

Mold loves humidity, heat and dampness. And the presence of oxygen is not necessary.

Question 2. What is yeast for?

Yeast breaks down sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The energy released in this case is used by the yeast to ensure their vital activity. Bubbles carbon dioxide, formed in the dough, make it light and porous.

Laboratory work No. 7. Mold fungus mukor.

1. Grow white mold on bread. To do this, place a piece of bread on a layer of damp sand poured into a plate, cover it with another plate and place it in a warm place. After a few days, a fluff will appear on the bread, consisting of thin threads of mucor. Examine the mold with a magnifying glass at the beginning of its development and later, when black heads with spores form.


3. Examine the microslide at low and high magnification. Find mycelium, sporangia and spores.



Conclusion: mucor is a mold fungus. Hyphae consist of one cell. During reproduction, balls (sporangia) appear at the ends of the hyphae. At first they are colorless, and then, as the spores mature, they turn black. When the sporangia burst, the spores are released.

Laboratory work No. 8. The structure of yeast.

1. Dilute in warm water a small piece of yeast. Pipette and place 1-2 drops of water with yeast cells on a glass slide. Cover with a cover slip and examine the preparation using a microscope at low and high magnification. Compare what you see with Figure 50. Find individual yeast cells, and look at the outgrowths on their surface - the buds.


In Figure 50 in the textbook, the yeast is exactly the same and is also budding.

3. Based on the research conducted, formulate conclusions.

Conclusion: Yeast mushrooms are single-celled organisms shaped like a ball. They live in nutrient fluid rich in sugar. Yeast reproduces by budding. They have a cell wall, vacuole, cytoplasm, nucleus, and when budding, a bud appears in the mother cell (sometimes separated from the mother cell).

Question 1. What is the structure of mucor?

Mucor hyphae consist of one cell. During reproduction, balls (sporangia with spores) appear at the ends of the hyphae.

Question 2. How does it reproduce?

During reproduction, balls (sporangia with spores) appear at the ends of the hyphae. At first they are colorless, and then, as the spores mature, they turn black. When the sporangia burst, the spores are released. Controversy spreads.

Question 3. From what is the medicine penicillin obtained?

The medicine penicillin is obtained from the mold fungus penicillium. Penicillium cells produce a substance that kills some pathogenic bacteria. It is specially bred to obtain medicines to treat many diseases.

Question 4. How does penicillium differ from mucor? What do these have in common? molds?

The mycelium penicillium, in contrast to the mycelium mucor, consists of branching threads divided by partitions into cells. Penicillium spores are not located in the heads, like in mucor, but at the ends of some mycelium filaments in small brushes.

Question 5. What are the features of the structure and reproduction of yeast? Why is yeast bred?

These microscopic fungi consist of a single cell shaped like a ball. They live in a nutrient fluid rich in sugar. Yeast reproduces by budding. First, a small bulge appears on the adult cell. It enlarges and turns into an independent cell, which soon separates from the mother one.

Yeast is bred so that it “comes to life” and begins to “work” faster. Then the dough will begin to rise, i.e. will become magnificent.

Think

How can we explain the appearance of molds on bread, fruits and other products?

In the air in different forms life is inhabited by mold fungi. They need an environment for them to reproduce. Most often this is damp or damp bread. Food is a place for reproduction, that is, for further development mold fungi. The main condition for mold to appear is moisture. The second condition is air temperature. With more high temperature mold appears and grows faster.

Kira Stoletova

Often a fluffy white coating appears on a forgotten piece of bread or cheese. His scientific name- Mukor mushroom. Affected products are no longer edible, but this class of fungi is very useful in other industries.

Characteristics of the mushroom

Mukor is a mushroom of the lowest class. He looks like white mold on food, feed and soil.

A young mushroom is white or beige; old mold is more black in color (heads with mature spores protrude).

The structure of the Mukora mold: under a microscope you can see fragments of white elongated bodies with black heads. The white bodies are called sporangiophores, and the black dots are called sporangia. It is the latter that contain the spores by which the species reproduces. Its outer body is a cell with nuclei.

The mycelium of Mukora, like that of all representatives of the class, is extensive. It is unicellular, but contains a large number of kernels inside. The area of ​​the mycelium is several tens of times greater than the area external body mold.

Reproduction methods

According to the description, the Mukor mushroom reproduces in two ways - sexual and vegetative. IN favorable conditions chooses the asexual path with the help of spores. This method helps to reproduce itself (this occurs throughout the life of the organism):

  1. The sporangium shell ruptures, and the black spores fall onto a favorable substrate.
  2. They can be carried by the wind or carried by people or animals.
  3. In moist and saturated soil they germinate, creating new mycelium.

So life cycle repeats itself. Sexual reproduction occurs if the life-giving substrate is depleted. Then two special cells, gametangia, fuse, creating a zygote. Over time it sprouts.

Features of penicillium

Penicillium is often considered an ignoble and dangerous mold, but these are not mucor subspecies.

Morphological features:

  1. This species is also represented by a eukaryotic structure, only its body consists of many cells, and not just one.
  2. Externally, the saprophyte is a greenish or bluish mold on damp places, food or plant residues. You can find it on the walls in basements and cellars.

The type of reproduction also differs. More often, multicellular Penicillium spreads asexually with the help of conidiophores, on which spores mature. Sexual reproduction occurs by the fusion of spherical bodies, and spores are also formed inside them.

Types of mushrooms

Mold fungus of the genus Mukor includes about 60 subspecies. The safest and most beneficial for humans:

  1. Chinese.
  2. Racemose.
  3. Snail-shaped.

Mukor and Penicillium mushrooms do not belong to the same class. The latter includes Aspergillus and Penicillum, which are of enormous importance for industry and medicine. A well-known producer is Penicillin rubens, first isolated by Fleming.

The total number of sections is 25, they have up to 100 subspecies. A definitive classification is in development because the level of research is low.

Beneficial features

Despite the popular stereotype about the dangers of mold, this class is necessary in nature.

Most mold organisms are decomposers. This is the name given to organisms that are capable of converting the remains of vital activity into organic and simple inorganic compounds.

The remainder is created by the consumer, who is also a person. The system is completed by the producer - the kingdom of plants and lichens, which converts inorganic substances into organic ones.

The meaning of mold in nature:

  1. Provide waste recycling.
  2. Participate in the nitrogen cycle.
  3. Maintain balance and nourish the soil.

Contraindications

The mold coating of the fungus is dangerous only for people with weak immunity. His disputes, falling into Airways, begin to multiply and cause bronchitis, shortness of breath, pneumonia, allergies or mucormycosis.

Such products are not eaten. Cutting off the damaged area will not help - the entire surface is already covered with spores. Only 5 of the existing species are highly dangerous to the body.

Penicillium contains both useful and dangerous subspecies for humans. Toxic metabolites are contained in 20 subspecies.

They have an adverse effect on respiratory system person, skin. Aspergillus - black mold - is especially dangerous. It multiplies quickly, increasing 9 times in a day.

Main risk groups:

  1. Young children.
  2. Elderly people in poor health.
  3. Allergy sufferers.
  4. Pregnant women.

Signs of poisoning:

  • nausea, vomiting;
  • headache;
  • difficulty breathing, shortness of breath;
  • skin rashes;
  • frequent bronchitis, pneumonia.

Application

Today, industry is actively using the fungal kingdom to obtain various substances. Much research is devoted to the survival of organisms in space conditions. Culinary organizations are also interested in mold cultivation.

In cooking

The mold fungus Mucor is a source of substances in Food Industry:

  • for the production of fermented food products (soybeans, cereals);
  • for producing ethanol from potatoes;
  • for making fermented milk (as a starter).

Application of penicillium:

  1. In cheese making to obtain species with noble mold.
  2. During salami making - prevents the appearance dangerous raid, improves consistency, aroma, reduces acidity.
  3. For the synthesis of enzymes.

In medicine

Some parts of the Mukora mushroom are suitable for producing antibiotics. The most famous antibiotic Penicillin is obtained from the Penicillium class, and the substances griseofulvin, mevastine, and mycophenolic acid, used as immunosuppressants, are obtained from other subspecies of fungi.

Growing methods

The easiest way to grow the Mukor mold is on white bread.

Growing mold at home (for school)

Conclusion

White mold on mushrooms also has beneficial features, it is used in industry and medicine. But you won’t be able to benefit from them on your own – this is only possible in laboratory conditions. Subspecies reproduce by spores and instantly spoil the entire product.

There are an incredibly large number of representatives of this huge family on earth, including more than one hundred thousand species. Mushrooms are very different from each other: appearance, habitat, there are edible, dangerous and useful. But what they have in common is that all mushrooms have mycelium and mycelium. And, as you know, mold is also a fungus. In this article we will talk about such a mushroom as mucor. It is better known to us as white mold. And each of us has probably encountered it more than once, perhaps even in our own kitchen. The mucor mushroom lives in the upper layers of the soil, as well as on organic products. He also likes dark, damp and warm places. If you leave a small piece of bread in the kitchen, then after a while a fluffy white coating will form on it, which turns gray over time - this is the same mucor mushroom. If you look closely, you can see its structure. But you can only get a good look at the parts of the mucor mushroom under a microscope.

Reproduction and nutrition

The mucor mushroom reproduces in two ways: asexual and sexual. The first method is more complex, since the process of maturation of the mycelium in sporangia is longer. The shell of sporangia is called callose. It is very resistant to external aggressive environments. But under the influence of atmospheric moisture it collapses, releasing billions of spores. The latter are so small in size that they can penetrate anywhere. They are always present in the air. Therefore, under favorable conditions, mold appears everywhere. When the mycelial threads unite, forming a zygote. This is how a new mushroom appears. Mukor is a saprophytic mushroom, that is, it feeds on ready-made organic substances. It is also called a scavenger mushroom, since it leaves no organic waste. Sometimes such fungi appear on a still living, but already diseased organism, after the death of which the remains will be completely processed.

The danger of mucor mushroom

Application in medicine and food industry

Certain types of this mushroom, on the contrary, are very useful for humans. So, some antibiotics (ramycin) are prepared from it. This mushroom is also used in the food industry as a starter (Chinese yeast). It is used to make “tempeh”, “soy cheese”, and produce potato alcohol.

How to prevent mold from contaminating your food

Of course, care must be taken to ensure that food is not contaminated. molds. In addition to being dangerous, it is also economically expensive. To do this, do not leave it near good products leftovers. Monitor the humidity level in the room. When leaving for a long time, do not leave food behind. And if mold appears on a product that, at first glance, is still suitable for consumption, it can no longer be eaten.

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Notes

Literature

  • Fresenius G.. - Frankfurt am Main, 1850. - Vol. 1. - P. 7.

Links

  • at zygomycetes.org

Excerpt characterizing Mukor

“Yes, I belong to the brotherhood of free stonemasons,” said the traveler, looking deeper and deeper into Pierre’s eyes. “Both on my own behalf and on their behalf, I extend a brotherly hand to you.”
“I’m afraid,” said Pierre, smiling and hesitating between the trust instilled in him by the personality of a Freemason, and the habit of mocking the beliefs of Freemasons, “I’m afraid that I’m very far from understanding how to say this, I’m afraid that my way of thinking about everything the universe is so opposite to yours that we do not we'll understand friend friend.
“I know your way of thinking,” said the Mason, “and that way of thinking that you are talking about, and which seems to you to be the product of your mental labor, is the way of thinking of most people, it is the monotonous fruit of pride, laziness and ignorance.” Excuse me, my lord, if I did not know him, I would not have spoken to you. Your way of thinking is a sad delusion.
“Just as I can assume that you are also in error,” said Pierre, smiling faintly.
“I will never dare to say that I know the truth,” said the Mason, more and more striking Pierre with his certainty and firmness of speech. – No one alone can reach the truth; “Only stone by stone, with the participation of everyone, millions of generations, from the forefather Adam to our time, is the temple being erected, which should be a worthy dwelling of the Great God,” said the Mason and closed his eyes.
“I have to tell you, I don’t believe, I don’t... believe in God,” Pierre said with regret and effort, feeling the need to express the whole truth.
The Mason looked carefully at Pierre and smiled, as a rich man holding millions in his hands would smile at a poor man who would tell him that he, the poor man, does not have five rubles that can make him happy.
“Yes, you don’t know Him, my lord,” said the Mason. – You cannot know Him. You don't know Him, that's why you're unhappy.
“Yes, yes, I’m unhappy,” Pierre confirmed; - but what should I do?
“You don’t know Him, my sir, and that’s why you are very unhappy.” You don't know Him, but He is here, He is in me. He is in my words, He is in you, and even in those blasphemous speeches that you have uttered now! – the Mason said in a stern, trembling voice.
He paused and sighed, apparently trying to calm down.
“If He didn’t exist,” he said quietly, “you and I wouldn’t be talking about Him, my sir.” What, who were we talking about? Who did you deny? - he suddenly said with enthusiastic sternness and authority in his voice. – Who invented Him if He doesn’t exist? Why did you have the assumption that there is such an incomprehensible creature? Why did you and the whole world assume the existence of such an incomprehensible being, an omnipotent being, eternal and infinite in all its properties?... - He stopped and was silent for a long time.
Pierre could not and did not want to break this silence.
“He exists, but it’s difficult to understand Him,” the Freemason spoke again, looking not at Pierre’s face, but in front of him, with his senile hands, which from internal excitement could not remain calm, turning over the pages of the book. “If it were a person whose existence you doubted, I would bring this person to you, take him by the hand and show him to you.” But how can I, an insignificant mortal, show all His omnipotence, all eternity, all His goodness to the one who is blind, or to the one who closes his eyes so as not to see, not to understand Him, and not to see and not to understand all his abomination and depravity? – He paused. - Who are you? What you? Do you dream of yourself that you are a sage because you could say these blasphemous words“, he said with a gloomy and contemptuous grin, “and you are stupider and crazier than a small child who, playing with parts of a skillfully made clock, would dare to say that because he does not understand the purpose of this clock, he does not believe in the master, who made them. It is difficult to know Him... For centuries, from the forefather Adam to the present day, we have been working for this knowledge and are infinitely far from achieving our goal; but in not understanding Him we see only our weakness and His greatness... - Pierre, with a sinking heart, looking into the Freemason’s face with shining eyes, listened to him, did not interrupt, did not ask him, but with all his soul believed what this stranger was telling him. Did he believe those reasonable arguments that were in the Mason’s speech, or did he believe, as children believe, the intonations, conviction and cordiality that were in the Mason’s speech, the trembling of the voice, which sometimes almost interrupted the Mason, or those sparkling, senile eyes that grew old in that the same conviction, or that calmness, firmness and knowledge of his purpose, which shone from the whole being of the Mason, and which especially struck him in comparison with his dejection and hopelessness; - but he wanted to believe with all his soul, and believed, and experienced a joyful feeling of calm, renewal and return to life.