@dr.bioforever: Soon after leaves fall to the ground, the cycle of life continues as fungi begin decomposing them. This video shows the early stages of fungal growth on recently fallen leaves. . The fungi growing on these leaves are difficult to see under normal conditions because their hyphae are colorless. However, when I used methylene blue stain, the fungal hyphae became clearly visible. . Fungi are such fascinating and mysterious creatures! Once leaves fall from trees, they become food for fungi, which spread their filament networks (mycelia) through the leaf tissues. As fungi break down the leaf tissues to get their food, the leaves gradually decompose and eventually disappear. In doing so, fungi like those in the video play a crucial role in nutrient cycling by decomposing organic material. . Don’t underestimate the importance of fungi. Just because most of the time we don’t see them, it doesn’t mean they are not all around us in incredible numbers! . For this video I used an Olympus BX41 microscope at up to 1000x magnification. #microscopy #ecology #fungi #hyphae #LearnBiologyonTikTok

Adolfo Sánchez-Blanco, Ph.D

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Friday 23 October 2026 13:49:18 GMT