Question: what is the difference between vegetative and aerial hyphae?
Answer: The total mass of hyphae is termed a mycelium (def). The portion of the mycelium that anchors the mold and absorbs nutrients is called the vegetative mycelium (def), composed of vegetative hyphae; the portion that produces asexual reproductive spores is the aerial mycelium (def), composed of aerial hyphae (see Fig. 1).