How do molds mainly spread and reproduce?
AnswerBy tiny spores
Molds release microscopic spores that travel through air and water to new places.
Nature · Facts & stats
Mold facts & stats
8 fact-checked facts about molds, each with the reason behind it. 4 more are in today's round and join this page after it closes.
The basics
Which conditions help mold grow best?
AnswerDamp and humid
Mold thrives where there is moisture, which is why damp rooms and old food grow it.
Going deeper
What are the thin threads that make up a mold's body called?
AnswerHyphae
Molds grow as branching filaments called hyphae.
What is a large, tangled network of fungal threads called?
AnswerMycelium
A mass of branching hyphae forms a mycelium, which spreads through the food source.
How do molds get their food?
AnswerBy absorbing nutrients from what they grow on
Molds release enzymes that break down material outside them, then absorb the nutrients.
What role do molds play in nature?
AnswerDecomposing dead plants and animals
As decomposers, molds break down dead matter and return nutrients to the soil.
Expert level
Fungal cell walls are made mainly of which substance, also found in insect shells?
AnswerChitin
Unlike plants, whose walls are cellulose, fungi build their cell walls from chitin.
Slime molds were once grouped with the fungi. In which group are most slime molds now placed?
AnswerAmoebozoa
Most slime molds, such as Physarum and Dictyostelium, are now classed in the Amoebozoa, amoeba-like organisms, not the fungi.
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