Refrigerator Bounty 2

    Nothing like a good "moldy" grapefruit to greet you for breakfast.  Actually the "mold" on this fruit is caused by a fungus that is classified as a member of the Division Eumycota (literally meaning true fungus) because of, among other attributes, the nature of its growth that consists of  thread-like hyphae  tangled together to form a mass called the mycelium.  The hyphae also produce tiny reproductive bodies called spores that become wind borne and help to spread the fungus to other fruits.  The fungus on this grapefruit is further classified as a deuteromycete, or fungi imperfectii, and appears to be a species of Penicillium, an extremely beneficial group of organisms from which many life saving antibiotics have been derived.  Note that the green color in Penicillium is not caused by chlorophyll which of course all fungi lack.  Read in your book about the various members of the deuteromycetes and their importance to us.

 
Grapefruit as originally discovered in the refrigerator with mycelium and spores evident on surface.
 
 
The same grapefruit kept at room temperature in a closed plastic bag for 5 days.  The mycelium
almost entirely covers the surface and is what most people refer to as "mold".

                                                                                                                        © 1999 Joseph R. Thomasson