Perhaps the most widely studied mold is the familiar bread mold, Rhizopus nigricans, which appears on bread that has been moistened, exposed to air, and placed in a warm, dark place. Bread molds have different types of hyphae. Those that spread along the surface are called stolons. At intervals along the stolons, clusters of shorter hyphae, called rhizoids, extend down into the food supply and secrete enzymes that break down sugar and starch into digestible food. The rhizoids absorb the food, and water as well.
Molds can reproduce both asexually and sexually.
When mature, the sporangia break open and release their spores, which will germinate if they reach a suitable environment. Sexual reproduction is accomplished through a form of conjugation. Two different mating types of hyphae, termed plus and minus, form short, specialized side branches. If the tip of a plus branch meets the tip of a minus branch, conjugation occurs. Each tip becomes a gamete cell, with two fusing to form a zygote.