My Mold Experiment

1. My Mold Experiment By: Torean Vance

2. Purpose • To observe and officially determine which fruit grows mold the fastest and most out of these subjects: banana, pear, lemon, apple. • To share and compare my results with my classmates to solve which fruit molds the most. My Hypothesis If a whole pear is left to mold then it will attract and grow mold the fastest because the pear has the most resources for mold and it has the most mass and has the most H2O.

3. Equipment • Banana • Pear • Apple • Lemon • 4 ziplock clear plastic bags • Flat space with constant conditions Procedure Put a banana, apple, pear and lemon in their own clear plastic bag of the same type and brand in the same location. Observe over the following 4 weeks and twice a week make a report and picture.

4. Controlling the experiment • To control the experiment I kept the bags sealed and observed without physical contact to ensure the conditions did not change between the fruit. • I kept it in constant conditions and out of reach from other peoples’ contact.

5. Lemon • Yellow no spots • Textured bumpy peel • Slightly squishy • Brown at the poles • Smelling of citrus Pear • Rugged surface • Somewhat Peanut shaped • Slightly ripe • Slightly squishy • brown Initial lemon and pear observations

6. Apple • Hard inside • Smooth surface • Stem is slightly woolly • Yellow and red in color Banana • Yellow with very few black spots • some green at the poles of the banana • Overly soft and squishy • Smooth streamline texture • Crescent moon shaped Initial observations of the apple and banana

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8. Week 1 pear observation • signs of medium condensation and moisture in the bag, the pear appears to be slightly affected with little signs of decomposition on the left curve a slight bruise 2cm squared.

9. Week 1 apple observation • No clear or visible signs of microscopic life growing with no changed effects.

10. Week 1 lemon observation • Heavy condensation in bag, no marks or visible signs of microorganisms living on the lemon specimen.

11. Week 1 banana • 30% of banana has black blotches no clear or visible signs of mold, mass have not decreased.

12. Week 2 pear observations • Clear and visible signs of mold and decomposition, dense condensation in the bag mold on 3 2cm spots indenture on upper right pear that is 3cm squared.

13. Week 2 apple observations • No clear or visible signs of microscopic life growing with no changed effects.

14. Week 2 lemon observations • heaviest condensation of the fruit a 1cm puddle on the end of bag no distinct or visible marks of microscopic organism life.

15. Week 2 banana observations • Black blotches covering a minority of the banana with distinct signs of existing condensation on specimen no distinct mold existence.

16. Week 2 day 4 pear observations • Juices and condensation in a 1cm puddle in a corner of bag green and white mold on the base of the stem green and white mold also appears on the curve of the pear and cracks on the skin have appeared.

17. Week 2 day 4 apple observations • Visible condensation encasing the insides of the bag apple unaffected by microscopic life no signs of existence of microorganisms.

18. Week 2 day 4 lemon observations • dense condensation 1cm puddle has increased in volume at the end of the bag beginning signs of microorganisms living on the lemon specimen at the poles of subject one third of the black at the ends.

19. Week 2 day 4 banana observations • Black blotches cover half of the banana banana has some mycelium at at the bottom of bag, the majority of the blotches are 4cm long 2cm wide and distinct signs of condensation.

20. Week 3 pear observations • Juices cover lower 1/5of the container empty sacks of space under the skin are where some flesh of the fruit used to be green and white mold noticeably show at the base of the Pear specimen and on a triangular cross of about 1cm wide and 4cm long cracks have enlarged in length width and depth slightly and has been filled with green and white mold.

21. Week 3 apple observations • Visible condensation with no microscopic effects on the apple with no visible mold on specimen.

22. Week 3 lemon observations • signs of Telltale of mold hyphae and white mycelium at the ends almost ½ cm square visible with heavy condensation in the bag 2cm puddle in the bag has slightly increased in mass and water surrounds the specimen.

23. Week 3 banana observations • Mold has appeared on the banana white specks appear in the lower-mid quarter the banana white and stringy 86% of the banana has turned brown and still blotches on the banana with 2cm wide 5cm long in different shapes.

24. Week 3 day 4 pear observations • Juices and condensation cover quarter of the clear plastic container with white mold growing in specks and strands in the fluids and condensation and white mold completely in the cracks with cross of majority green minority white mold triangular cross 2cm wide and 5cm in length and mold at the base of the stem has enlarged its diameter.

25. Week 3 day 4 apple observations • No mold or visible microorganisms grow on the subject there is also distinct condensation and juices in a corner of bag.

26. Week 3 day 4 lemon observations • Mold clearly on subject specimen white and stringy mycelium is at the ends of the subject with water around the lemon specimen and 2cm puddle at the end of container has not changed in mass.

27. Week 3 day 4 banana observations • Banana has turned 89% brown/black with yellow at the poles of subject with upper third turned 80% black gash has faded into black and white mold appearing in the lower third of banana in mycelium strands.

28. Week 4 pear observations • H20 and juices surrounds ½ of the subject fruit with a green mold Y at the top with the lower point trailing off in 1/2cm wide 6cm long trail Y is 2cm thick 5cm long cracks on pear filled with white mold with blobs of white mold in the juices and strands into the juices about 3cm long from the bottom of the pear.

29. Week 4 apple observations • mold beginning to grow on stem 1cm squared H2O around specimen no mold on lower fruit or other signs of microorganisms.

30. Week 4 lemon observations • White mycelium strands at the poles covering the ends of subject about 1cm square the mold is stringy and furry and H2O with minor portion of lemon juice surrounds subject no other existing visible or clear microorganisms.

31. Week 4 banana observations • Peel where visible is 90% black white mold similar that to on the lemon covers up on down the visible peel in little spots and other and goes up in strips with 3 stripes visible on subject.

32. Results Pear: This specimen subject grew mold the fastest and the most of it and the most varieties with 2 different varieties. Apple: This subject was most resistant to mold over the 4 weeks out of all the subjects. Lemon: This subject was very resistant to the mold over the experiments time and only molded at the ends. Banana: This subject was decomposing fastest but did not mold first but second and grew the 2nd most mold.

33. Conclusion part 1 • I have observed many things from this experiment this is what I concluded. that like what I predicted in my hypothesis fruit with the most mass and H2O is most likely to mold first. • I have also learned from this experiment that once an fruit skin has been punctured and its core exposed the mold will grow easier because of the layer of protection against bacterial and viral bugs is gone. • One other thing I have learned is that bananas for most of the time is that there peels mold first not the insides even after a lengthy time the inside will be quite fine • I have and hypothesis about this: If a banana is left in a temperate climate then it will mold because it is from a different climate and not used to the bacteria here so its peel will not have immunity to them.

34. Conclusion part 2 • I have also observed like I thought that lemon molded 2nd last because as I think of acetic acid which is an anti-oxidant and is mildly anti-bacterial although other citrus fruits which are high in acetic acid lemon is the one of the highest we know of so it will repel mold easily even though it is from a different climate. • I also observedthe lemon molded at the poles and I think that is only because the ends are a weak point in the anti-bacterial armor. • I even made a Hypothesis for this too: If you leave a lemon out to mold then it will be very resistant to mold because it is high in acetic acid which is mildly anti-bacterial. • My theory why the apple molded last because the fruit had just been bought thereforetherefore having the least exposure to the mold. This is what I conclude from my information.

35. Further Inquiry Points • I would like to continue research about bananas and lemon to follow my hypothesis and their properties and maybe another experiment on citrus foods and lemons and banana and its close fruit relatives. • To define if the climate of area and origin of fruit affects mold • To compare with other peoples results.

36. Thank you