Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
#fungi #mushrooms #spores #reproduction #activity #ngscience @NGScience
ngscience.com
Mushrooms are a fascinating type of fungi that reproduce using tiny spores—so small, you usually can’t see them with your eyes. But there’s a fun and simple way to observe these spores in action: by making a spore print!
Once you've spotted a wild mushroom, carefully remove it from the soil by gently pulling it up from the lowest part of the stalk.
Back in the lab, use a magnifying glass to observe the different parts. It stalk, cap and gills.
You might even want to draw and label what you see.
Now, carefully detach the stalk from the cap.
Place the cap, with the gills facing down, on a sheet of paper.
If the gills are dark, use white paper.
If they’re pale or white, use black paper so the spores will stand out.
Leave it overnight, and in the morning, carefully lift the cap.
And just like magic… you’ll see a beautiful spore print—made from thousands of tiny reproductive spores that fell from the gills while you slept!
Who knew something so small could be such a work of art?
#fungi #mushrooms #spores #reproduction #activity #ngscience @NGScience
ngscience.com
Mushrooms are a fascinating type of fungi that reproduce using tiny spores—so small, you usually can’t see them with your eyes. But there’s a fun and simple way to observe these spores in action: by making a spore print!
Once you've spotted a wild mushroom, carefully remove it from the soil by gently pulling it up from the lowest part of the stalk.
Back in the lab, use a magnifying glass to observe the different parts. It stalk, cap and gills.
You might even want to draw and label what you see.
Now, carefully detach the stalk from the cap.
Place the cap, with the gills facing down, on a sheet of paper.
If the gills are dark, use white paper.
If they’re pale or white, use black paper so the spores will stand out.
Leave it overnight, and in the morning, carefully lift the cap.
And just like magic… you’ll see a beautiful spore print—made from thousands of tiny reproductive spores that fell from the gills while you slept!
Who knew something so small could be such a work of art?
