Fungi reproduce asexually by fragmentation, budding, or producing spores. Fragments of hyphae can grow new colonies. Mycelial fragmentation occurs when a fungal mycelium separates into pieces with each component growing into a separate mycelium. Somatic cells in yeast form buds.

They will only start to grow once they land in an environment with suitable water, food, temperature, and oxygen. Unlike plants’ use of photosynthesis to harness energy, molds (and all fungi) rely on organic matter to provide energy. Mold grows on the materials it can digest.

Molds reproduce primarily by means of asexual reproductive spores such as conidiospores, sporangiospores, and arthrospores. These spores are disseminated by air, water, animals or objects and upon landing on a suitable environment, germinate and produce new hyphae (see Figure 1).

The most common allergy-causing molds include Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium and Penicillium.

Almost all fungi reproduce asexually by producing spores. A fungal spore is a haploid cell produced by mitosis from a haploid parent cell. It is genetically identical to the parent cell. Fungal spores can develop into new haploid individuals without being fertilized.

They are non-vascular organisms. They do not have vascular system. Xylem and Phloem are absent. Fungi have cell walls (plants also have cell walls, but animals have no cell walls).

Fungi can’t move around so they make spores that are like seeds. Spores fly away on the breeze or in water, on animals or clothing and find a new place to grow that has everything they need.

Death. Once a fungus has completed creating spores through meiosis, it effectively dies. The spores spread and the remaining stalk and hyphae do not got through another fruiting process. The remnants of the fungus then decompose in the soil.

Most yeasts and molds are heat-sensitive and destroyed by heat treatments at temperatures of 140-160°F (60-71°C).

Temperature: Fungi grow best in warm temperatures. Some species of fungi do grow better at warm temperatures (70-90°F), but there are some that thrive in very high temperatures of 130-150°F and some that will thrive in very low temperatures below 32°F (below freezing).

Wear good socks and shoes – Encourage your family to wear shoes that allow air to circulate around their feet, and choose socks that wick moisture. Clean potentially contaminated surfaces – Places like showers are a breeding ground for fungus, so clean them often.

Fungi are heterotrophic. Fungi are not able to ingest their food like animals do, nor can they manufacture their own food the way plants do. Instead, fungi feed by absorption of nutrients from the environment around them. Most fungi are saprophytes, feeding on dead or decaying material.

Fungi feed on other organisms, living or dead, and play an important role in helping dead plants and animals decay. Of the thousands of species of fungi, a few can cause human disease. These fungi cause a wide range of illnesses, from minor skin conditions to life-threatening diseases.

Fungus & Food Humans eat fungi in many more ways than mushrooms. Bread is made using yeast, a fungus that provides the “lift” in bread making resulting in air bubbles in bread. Beer and wine both use fungi’s alcohol producing properties in the fermenting process.

One of the first things that may happen to you after eating fungus is food poisoning. The fungi and bacteria may irritate the stomach and cause severe complications. Vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, acute abdominal pain are the initial symptoms of food poisoning.

Read on to learn more about these terrifyingly lethal mushrooms.

• Death Cap (Amanita phalloides) death cap mushroom.
• Conocybe filaris. Conocybe filaris.
• Webcaps (Cortinarius species)
• Autumn Skullcap (Galerina marginata)
• Destroying Angels (Amanita species)
• Podostroma cornu-damae.
• Deadly Dapperling (Lepiota brunneoincarnata)