Fungi | Popular fungi
Popular fungi
Fungi can cause diseases in plants and animals. Yet there are many types of fungi that humans commonly use, from tasty treats to medicines.
Mold: Mold is a type of fungi. It was a few of these stray mold spores that altered the treatment of bacterial diseases throughout the world. In 1928, British bacteriologist Alexander Fleming (1881–1955) was growing the staphylococcus bacteria in his laboratory for study. Bacteria are a type of microscopic organism, some of which can cause disease (see Bacteria chapter for more information). At that time, bacterial infections were sweeping throughout the world and killing millions of people.
One day Fleming accidentally left a dish of bacteria uncovered on his lab bench before he took a vacation. When he returned Fleming noticed the dish was crowded with bacterial growth except for one clear area where a patch of mold was growing. The mold had produced a substance...
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