What causes bread dough to “rise”?
The Fungi Kingdom contains molds, mildews, rusts, smuts, yeasts, and mushrooms. Most fungi are saprophytic or parasitic. The saprophytes are helpful because they break down organic material returning nutrients to the soil. Yeasts are useful in the making of bread and fermented drinks. Some parasitic fungi are actually human pathogens, causing athlete’s foot and ringworm. Important body parts: • Hypha – the vegetative filament. • Septum – perforated cross walls. (in some groups) • The fungi cell wall is made of chitin, a complex polysaccharide found in insects. This distinguishes fungi from plants, which have a cell wall made of cellulose. • Mycelium – a mat of interwoven hyphae. Fungus life cycle: The life cycle of a fungus begins as a spore (the reproductive body) that grows when conditions are right. Out of the spore wall grows a hypha, that looks like a clear, microscopic fingertip. The body of the fungus is made up of a network of hyphal threads collectively called the mycelium. Th
