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It has a simple life cycle. Once it
has appeared on the surface that has adequate warmth
and nutrients, the spore starts growing and after reaching
a particular stage in its growth, it then starts reproduction
to produce other structures. To view the rapid growth
of Rhizopus, a small experiment can be carried out.
Take bread and moisten it a little and place it in a
warm moist place for two to five days and you will see
the results. Zygospores may begin to form after three
days and mature ones within four to five days. The color
of the colony at the front is initially white but turns
grayish to yellowish brown after some time.. Rhizopus
colonies can be grown in the laboratory by using culture
media in petri dishes. Caution should be taken while
performing this since Rhizopus are harmful.
Just like other fungi, Rhizopus has adverse
health effects in both animals and humans and as an
opportunistic agent of zygomycosis; it can cause four
types of systemic diseases which are: rhinocelebral,
thoracic, gastrointestinal and cutaneous. This is worse
in immune compromised individuals such as those suffering
from diabetes and leukemia. Some are plant pathogens.
As a result of their rapid growth, Rhizopus
can be used in food fermentation process, for example
Rhizopus oligosporus can be used in the home production
of tempeh and Rhizopus oryzae which is used to produce
alcoholic beverages, Rhizopus nigricans, a spore that
floats in air, is used in industrial microbiology in
the production of cortisone to convert Progesterone
to 11-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone.
The adverse effects of fungi on human
and animal health calls for caution as the treatment
of Rhizopus infections is difficult and its property
of being able to invade vascular tissues, results in
high mortality rates. It is therefore crucial to make
early diagnosis and the patient may need surgery and
anti-fungal therapy.
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