What is Mold?
Mold is a living organism, but it is neither a plant nor an animal, it is a type of fungus. It is part of a group of living organisms that are very common and serve an important role in the environment. Molds break down the leaves in when they fall to the ground in the autumn. It would be messy world without mold. Penicillin, an antibiotic that has saved many lives, is a type of mold, as is yeast.
However, mold can grow on bread and other types of food, making it unfit to eat. Mold can grow on the walls, floors and ceilings of a home as well as on personal possessions. People often refer to some household molds as mildew, although the term also can apply to molds found outdoors.
As stated above, molds are part of the natural environment. When found in the outdoors, molds play a part in nature by breaking down dead organic matter such as fallen leaves and dead trees, but indoors, mold growth should be avoided. Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and indoor air. Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet. There are many types of mold, and they all need moisture to grow.
While mold spores are all around us, mold growth can be prevented. Mold growing in a building requires moisture, warmth, and food. Depriving mold of any of these three items will stop it from growing, but it will not kill the mold that is already there. Mold spores will remain dormant, and if the moisture, warmth and food all reappear, mold will begin to grow again. In addition, dead mold is still allergenic. This is why it is important to entirely remove mold from a building’s structure.
