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Did You Know?
We have a fungus to thank for our
first big victory against pathogenic
(illness-causing) bacteria. In 1928,
bacteria researcher Alexander Flem-
ing discovered by coincidence that
the mold fungus known as Pencil-
ilium notatum produces a substance
that kills bacteria. This substance
was named penicillin after the name
of the fungus and was the first anti-
biotic used by mankind.
Lichens live on trees and stones.
Cross-section through a lichen with fungal
hyphae and alga cells.
When observed more closely, a lichen is a community consisting of a fungus and
many single-cell algae. The algae converts energy from the sun into food for the
fungus, and the fungus makes it possible for the algae to live out of water in the
first place. The success of this living arrangement is proven by the tenacity with
which lichens inhabit even the most unpleasant of living spaces, including on walls
and stones, on tree trunks and even on bare rock in the high mountains where
they are exposed to wind and weather and lead a meager existence. Such lichens
grow extremely slowly — only a few millimeters per year, in fact, and sometimes
even fractions of a millimeter. So during your next nature walk, when you see a
lichen, you can try to estimate how old it is.
Pretty Mold
It happens time and again: Fungal spores get into a jelly jar or bread box and
germinate on the foods. Up to now, it's just been a hassle because the spoilt
food had to be thrown out (and that's of course the right thing to do). But it's
also worth having a look at mold fungi under the microscope. To do this, you
will need:
• a slide and a cover slip
• the pipette and water
• a razor blade (see page 11)
• the tweezers
• a small sample of mold fungus, from a piece of moldy bread, for example
You can pluck a little of the fungal hypha mesh on the moldy food with the
tweezers and transfer it to a drop of water on the slide. After putting the
cover slip in place, examine it under different magnifications. Besides the
thread-like fungal hyphae, you will also find various types of fruiting bodies
that have very different shapes. The capitulum mold shown here is but one
example from the wonderfully varied world of mold fibers.
Very different types of mold can be found on different types of foods.
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