Conidia (sing. Conidium)
Conidia
Japanese: 分生子（コニディア）
Spores formed by filamentous fungi through asexual reproduction. Produced in chains at the tips of conidiophores, they are dispersed by wind or contact. The green powder of koji mold is conidia.
Conidia are spores produced by filamentous fungi like koji mold through asexual reproduction. They form in chains like beads at the tips of specialized hyphae called conidiophores.
The green powder appearing on koji surfaces—that is conidia. Carried by wind, when they reach a new substrate they germinate and begin extending hyphae. Seed koji (moyashi) is a concentrated collection of these conidia.
Since conidia are produced without sexual reproduction, they are genetically identical clones of the parent. This is one of mold's survival strategies: efficiently leaving behind vast numbers of offspring. Knowing the microbial world connects to understanding fermentation.