MelissaBunea

Biology 11 Ms. Capp

Bread Mold Lab

Purpose To see which moisture levels affect the growth of mold.
Background info Bread mold is a kind of fungus that grows on the surface
of the bread. The bread mold fungus draws nutrients from the bread for its
survival and destroys the bread in its process. The mold looks black, greyish,
and greenish and has molds and bumps all around it. Bread mold is made of
many cells. Several molds have a body which may consist of root threads
which penetrate the food. They might form a stalk which rises above the
food spores which are formed at the end of a stalk. Bread mold has no
chlorophyll so it cannot absorb energy from the sun or produce its own food.
The mold also contains poisonous microtoxins. Kingdom Fungi, Phylum
Zygomycota, Species Rhizopus Stolonifer.
Hypothesis If we put more water on the bread then mold will grow faster.
Matierals Water, Bread, Containers, Toaster, Sharpie, Duct tape.
Procedure
o Take a piece of bread and split it into 4 pieces.
o Take one of the pieces of bread and toast it in the toaster.
o After place the toasted piece of bread in a container, close it and label
it.
o Then take another piece of bread and put it in a container filled with
water.
o Take another piece of bread and just place it in an empty container.
o Take the last piece of bread and soak it in water and then put it in a dry
container.
o Make sure all the containers are closed and labeled according to their
moisture levels, and then put them beside a window for even natural
sunlight.
o Now record your data every day for 8 days on mold growth.
Results

Water filled:

MelissaBunea
Biology 11 Ms. Capp

Days

average
diameter
(cm)

Color

Shape

1
2
3
4
5

# of
mold
colonie
s
none
none
none
none
1

none
none
none
none
1

none
none
none
none
circular colony

1.6,1.2,0.7,0
.5
2.6,2,1.3,1.1
,1.5
3.3,1.6,2.5,2
.2

none
none
none
none
greenish black w/
white border
greenish black w/
white border
greenish yellow w/
white border
greenish yellow w/
white border

circular colony
deformed
circular colonies
deformed
circular colonies

Toasted:
Days

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

# of
mold
colonie
s
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none

average
diamete
r (cm)

Color

Shape

none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none

none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none

none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none

average
diamete
r (cm)

Color

Shape

none
none
none

none
none
none

none
none
none

Normal Bread:
Days

1
2
3

# of
mold
colonie
s
none
none
none

MelissaBunea
Biology 11 Ms. Capp

4
5
6
7
8

none
none
none
none
none

none
none
none
none
none

none
none
none
none
none

none
none
none
none
none

Moist Bread:
Days

average
diameter (cm)

Color

Shape

1
2
3
4

# of
mold
coloni
es
none
none
none
3

none
none
none
2.3,1.1,0.5

none
none
none
circular oval

2.5,1.3,1.8,0.7

4.3,1.9,2.5,1.3,0.
4
4.5,2.0,2.5,0.7,0.
7,1.6
4.5,2.3,2.5,0.8,1

none
none
none
greenis
h black
greenis
h black
greenis
h black
greenis
h black
greenis
h white

deformed circle and

long line
two circular colonies
and two lines
two circular colonies
and two lines
two circular colonies
and two lines

Conclusion In this experiment 4 different moisture levels were shown to see

the growth of mold. The prediction is if we put more water on the bread then
the mold will grow faster. This prediction became true because when water
was added to the mold, the mold started to grow fast. The toasted bread did
not grow any mold but, instead dried out. The normal bread also did not grow
mold and dried out. The water filled bread grew mold but the bread that was
soaked in some water grew mold faster. The water filled and soaked bread
proved the prediction and made it true. The sources of errors are the volume
of air, and the sizes of bread. They could have had the same amount and
volume of air, and the exact same size of bread.