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Fungi

I. Deuteromycetes or Fungi Imperfecti

Penicillium notatum

Widely distributed in nature, and is often found living on foods as a contaminant, and in indoor environments.
Has been renamed as Penicillium chrysogenum.
Reproduces by forming dry chains of spores.
Brush-shaped conidiophores.
Conidia are blue to blue-green, and the mold sometimes exudes a yellow pigment.
It is the source of several β-lactam antibiotics.

*Aspergillus niger*

Is a filamentous fungi that is found in mesophilic environments.
It is not only a xerophilic fungi, but is also a thermotolerant organism, that produces colonies composed of white or yellow felt that is covered by dark asexually produced fungal spores.
Mycelial hyphae are divided by a septum and are transparent.
It produces citric acid as well as industrial enzymes, such as amylases, proteases, and lipases.

II. Zygomycetes

Has a cosmopolitan distribution and is found on bread and soft fruits such as bananas and grapes.
Asexual spores are formed within sporangia. Germination of the spores forms the haploid hyphae of a new mycelium.
Successful mating results in the formation of durable zygospores at the point of contact. The zygospore germinates and forms a sporangiophore whose sporangium contains both + and – haploid spores.
Rhizoids are used for attachment.
Pathogen, opportunistic infections of humans (zygomycosis).

III. Ascomycetes

*Sordaria fimicola*

Is commonly found in the feces of herbivores and is worldwide in distribution.
It produces black perithecia containing asci with eight dark ascospores in linear arrangement.
S. fimicola in the wild, is dark brown, with a short life cycle, usually 7-12 days.
This species is commonly used in genetics classes because of its very strict method of sexual reproduction.

Emericella spp.

Emericella is very common in tropical and subtropical regions, often isolated from soil, plant and plant material, and food products.
Emericella is an ascomycete that produces ascospores, as they reproduce sexually with genetic exchange. The anamorphic state is Aspergillus.
Colony color can vary and can include green, yellow, gray, purple and buff. Colony texture is generally velvety.
Emericella can cause allergenic and asthmatic reaction in sensitive individuals. It can cause infection in humans and animals particularly in immunocompromised individuals.