Which of the following environmental conditions are essential for optimum growth of Mucor on a piece of…
Which of the following environmental conditions are essential for optimum growth of Mucor on a piece of bread?
(I) Temperature of about $25^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$
(II) Temperature of about $5^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$
(III) Relative humidity of about $5 \%$
(IV) Relative humidity of about $95 \%$
(V) A shady place
(VI) A brightly illuminated place
Choose the answer from the following options.
(II), (III) and (VI) only
(I), (III) and (V) only
(I), (IV) and (V) only
(II), (IV) and (V) only
Solution
Mucor is a saprophytic fungus. It grows on decaying dung and on some food stuffs. It shows the best growth on a piece of bread at about $25^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$ with relative humidity of about $95 \%$ in moist and shady places.
Related Theory
Mucor is a genus of mould. They are formed from thread-like hyphae that spread out from a visible mycelium. It causes mucormycosis. Most people develop this infection by breathing in mould spores. Less often, infection can develop when spores enter the body through a cut or open wound. It was much prevalent during second wave of COVID-19 (as black fungus) in 2021 in India.