Aspergillus
Aspergillus () is a genus consisting of a few hundred mold species found in various climates worldwide.
Aspergillus was first catalogued in 1729 by the Italian priest and biologist Pier Antonio Micheli. Viewing the fungi under a microscope, Micheli was reminded of the shape of an aspergillum (holy water sprinkler), from Latin spargere (to sprinkle), and named the genus accordingly. Today, aspergillum is also the name of an asexual spore-forming structure common to all Aspergillus species; around one-third of species are also known to have a sexual stage.
Taxonomy
Species
Aspergillus consists of a few hundred species.
Growth and distribution
Aspergillus is defined as a group of conidial fungi -- that is, fungi in an asexual state. Some of them, however, are known to have a teleomorph (sexual state) in the Ascomycota, so with DNA evidence forthcoming, members of the genus Aspergillus can tentatively be considered members of the Ascomycota.
Members of the genus possess the ability to grow where a high osmotic concentration (high sugar, salt, etc.) exists. Aspergillus species are highly aerobic and are found in almost all oxygen-rich environments, where they commonly grow as molds on the surface of a substrate, as a result of the high oxygen tension. Commonly, fungi grow on carbon-rich substrates like monosaccharides (such as glucose) and polysaccharides (such as amylose). Aspergillus species are common contaminants of starchy foods (such as bread and potatoes), and grow in or on many plants and trees.
