Black bread mold
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The common black bread mold (Rhizopus stolonifer) is an example of a conjugating mold. It produces three types of hyphae:
- Stolon hyphae spread over the surface of bread as the mycelium grows,
- Rhizoid hyphae penetrate the bread to digest it and to anchor the mycelium, and
- Sporangiophores are upright hyphae that form a sporangium at their tips.
Asexual reproduction by mitospores occurs continuously. Sexual reproduction occurs only when opposite mating types (designated + and -) come in contact. Then special cells become gametes that fuse forming a zygote. The zygote develops a resistant cell wall, forming a zygospore, the characteristic that gives its name to this group of fungi. Subsequently, the zygospore germinates and forms a sporangiophore whose sporangium produces both + and - haploid spores.
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