How do bread mold get their energy from food?

Bread mold, like many fungi, obtains energy from food through a process called saprotrophic nutrition. Here's how it works:

1. Secreting Enzymes: Mold releases enzymes onto the bread surface. These enzymes break down complex food molecules, like carbohydrates (starch in bread), proteins, and lipids, into simpler, soluble compounds.

2. Absorption: The mold then absorbs these simpler molecules through its hyphae, which are thread-like filaments that form the body of the fungus.

3. Energy Production: Once inside the mold, the absorbed molecules are used as fuel in cellular respiration, a process that generates energy (ATP) for the mold to grow and reproduce.

In essence, bread mold doesn't "eat" food in the traditional sense. Instead, it digests the food externally by secreting enzymes and then absorbs the resulting nutrients. This method allows mold to decompose organic matter and play an important role in the ecosystem.