Soil for the Air

This sample was taken on March 16, 2014 by Soil for the Air participant ErikaHan.  The image was made using a 40-power USB microscope.

Mycelium form the vegetative part of a fungus organism - they are the threadlike parts that spread through soil (or any other substance the fungus has colonized) looking for nutrients and breaking down organic matter by exuding enzymes.  

This mycelium sample came from Soil for the Air user MattK.  It was photographed with a 40x USB microscope.  The mycelium has wrapped itself around a small piece of dead wood, and is in the process of digesting it.  If it had stayed in the soil, the nutrients contained in the dead wood would have been released by the fungus and made available to the plant roots.

This sample came from Soil for the Air user ValJean.  It was photographed with a 40x USB microscope.  It is unclear what part of this is plant root and what is mycelium, if any.  But the pattern in the material on top is beautiful.

A beautifully growing root system from Soil for the Air user CaitlinW's tank set. 

This mycelium sample came from Soil for the Air user AndrewC.  It was photographed with a 40x USB microscope.  The mycelium has wrapped itself around a small piece of dead wood, and is in the process of digesting it.  If it had stayed in the soil, the nutrients contained in the dead wood would have been released by the fungus and made available to the plant roots.