Fungus still alive?

[Zeta]

Hey, I grew some fungus in a petri dish once and its been months since I grew it.

(grew from a piece of moist bread)

It still looks as if it's alive and well. It doesn't look like its dead or anything. I'm sure no moisture is in the dish as it hasn't been opened for months. But it doesn't look like it has grown any since the entire bread was engulfed. Would you think it is still alive? Or just dead and "preserved"?

Also, whats the best way to prepare a slide of fungus to view under a microscope? As this was the purpose for growing it and I've never looked at it under a microscope because I don't know how to take any and put it on a slide.

[mith]

Fungus and other lower life forms are extremely hardy. It's probably in some sort of suspended animation.

[Zeta]

Ah. It's never been disturbed really besides being picked up. So I guess it is still alive. I wonder if it still has food because it looks like it turned the piece of bread into a fungus city. I don't see any food left lol.

[b_d_41501]

Maybe the fungus has turned canibal

[Zeta]

That is funny. But is that possible? There are mushrooms that consume other mushrooms. If the food which the fungus settled and grew on ran out, could it possibily accept the fungus near it as a food source? Or just die?

[b_d_41501]

I'm guessing they can do that

[Zeta]

Ah, most interesting! lol Maybe I can look at it and some how see if it is cannibal fungus now. Thanks for the info on this.

[b_d_41501]

No problem

[Winter]

How can you tell if fungus is dead anyway? Pardon my ignorance, by the way.

[MrMistery]

It isn't that easy... One way is to measure the level of oxygen/co2 but the box musn't have any contact with the outside. Another way would me adding some glucose and seeing if it eats it.
To observe it at the microscope: you can just take a piece and look at it but i would advise a colorant to. The type of substance you need depends on your fungus