8 Preparing for the bread mold experiment
You now need to prepare for the ‘space bugs’ bread mold experimentin Week 5. Here you will grow mold on bread to simulate ‘bugs’. You need at least four slices of bread, preferably two white and two wholemeal. You also need some sealable plastic bags. Place one slice in each bag as shown in Figure 14.
Then choose two locations for the bags. One should be in direct sunlight and airy (for example, on a window ledge), and the other in a dark, warm environment (for example, under the stairs). Monitor the bags at least once a day, ideally photographing each one, starting about a week after you have set this up. Then record your observations. Please be patient; this experiment depends on the weather. If it is cold then it may take a long time!
Table 5
| Sample | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14 |
| white bread in sunlight | ||||||||
| brown bread in sunlight | ||||||||
| white bread in dark | ||||||||
| brown bread in dark |
Health and safety note: please handle the bread with care as mold will start to grow on it.
Now complete the end-of-week quiz.
OpenLearn - Microgravity: living on the International Space Station
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