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Moldy cream cheese

Molds, or mould, are various fungi that cover surfaces as fluffy mycelia and usually produce masses of asexual, or sometimes sexual, spores. Mold is a growth of minute fungi forming on vegetable or animal matter, commonly as a downy or furry coating and associated with decay or dampness.The molds are not an actual taxonomic or phylogenetic grouping – they can be found in the divisions Zygomycota, Deuteromycota and Ascomycota.

Mold on growing on a liquid surface

Moldy Bread

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 themselves cause significant 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.

Alexander Fleming's famous discovery of penicillin involved the mold Penicillium notatum. The mold Neurospora crassa is commonly used as a model organism in scientific experiments.

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.

Reasons for mold in house

Mold growing on carpet

In the home, the presence of mold can mean that something is wrong. Mold doesn’t require sunlight; often, sunlight will kill it. Mold does require moisture and food. In houses and buildings, this food source is usually some form of cellulose such as wood or cardboard.

• If an entire house has problems with mold year-round, then there is probably too much moisture in the house, coming from a dirt basement or a leaking roof, for example.
• If there are mold problems in one specific part of a house year-round, then that part of the house probably needs more sunlight and ventilation. Mold often forms on perimeter walls, because they are coolest, and where ventilation is poorest (in corners, around furniture).
• If there are mold problems in a house only during certain times of the year, then it is probably either too air-tight, or too drafty. Mold problems occur in air-tight homes more frequently in the warmer months (when humidity reaches high levels inside the house, and moisture is trapped), and occur in drafty homes more frequently in the colder months (when warm air escapes from the living area into unconditioned space, and condenses). If a house is humidified artificially during the winter, this can create conditions favorable to mold. Also see ventilation issues in houses for tips on preventing mold. [1]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Mold

• 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

External links

• EPA mold guide
• EPA mold website
• Mold FAQ
• Household mold
• Bread Mold FAQ
• How dangerous is eating moldy bread? (FAQ Farm)