General characteristic of Molds
- Molds are one kind of microorganism and that they grow on food materials like breadfruit vegetable jelly etc.
- They spoil the food and make them unfit to eat.
Morphological characteristics
- On the other hand, molds are beneficial in the preparation of some food like cheese and a few Oriental foods.
- Molds are certain multicellular filamentous fungi whose growth will be easily recognized by their cottony appearance.
- Morphology means the form and structure of mold are set by a microscope. It accommodates a mass of filaments called hyphae and a mass of this hyphae is known as mycelium.
- Hyphae may be classified as vegetative of the fertile part.
- Reproduction of molds is chiefly by asexual spores.
- The mold which forms sexual spores is termed perfect.
- The fungi imperfecti have only an asexual spore.
Cultural characteristics
- The non-septate perfect molds is oomycetes and zygomycetes. The perfect molds are ascomycetes and basidiomycetes.
- Some molds look velvety on the upper surface when some look dry and powdery and some wet or gelatinous. Some old are loose and floppy and some are compact. When the appearance of the mold indicates its genus.
Physiological characteristics
- Temperature requirement:-most mold grows well at ordinary temperature. Phone number of mold grow well at refrigeration temperature. A few can grow at high temperatures.
- Moisture requirement:-mold require less moisture to grow and yeast and bacteria if dried food has a moisture content below 14 to 15% it will prevent or delay mold growth
- Oxygen requirement:-mold are aerobic so they require oxygen for their growth.
References