1. Black Bread Mold
By Sam Hinsch

2. Classification Common Name: Black Bread Mold
Scientific Name: Rhizopus stolonifer
Kingdom Name: Fungi
Phylum Name: Zygomycota
Class Name: Zygomycetes

3. Common Characteristics
The Black Bread Mold is a widely distributed thread-like Mucoralean mold.
Has no body cavity.
It is a parasitic decomposer that is attracted to moisture.
Has no segmentation.

4. Life Cycle
Asexual spores are formed within sporangia (pinhead-like enclosure), that break to release the spores when mature.
Germination of these spores forms the haploid hyphae of a new mycelium.
At temperatures between 15 and 30°C, Rhizopus stolonifer will start to grow rapidly.
It appears on the bread surface as a wind blown spore. With adequate moisture and nutrients from the bread, this spore sprouts and grows hair like structures on the bread surface. Once the mold attains a particular growth, it starts producing fruiting structures. These structures contain spores that are blown by wind and spreads to other bread surfaces.

5. Habitat Commonly found on bread surfaces or soft fruits.
Usually attaches to moist bread.
It takes nutrients from the bread and damages the surface of the bread, where it lives.

6. Special Characteristics
Sporangia form spores, then the sporangia breaks to release the spores.
Attacks moist bread.
It is capable of causing opportunistic infections in humans.
Black Bread Molds are self-compatible.

8. Work Cited
"Black Bread Mold." Web.
"Black Bread Mold." Web. 14 May 2011.
Olbrantz, Christina. "The Breakdown!" Web.
Riverside, Josh. "Bread Mold." Web.