biology

Stachybotrys chartarum

Stachybotrys chartarum is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Stachybotrys chartarum rather than just read about it. In short: Stachybotrys chartarum ( STAK-ih-BOT-ris char-TAIR-əm), commonly named black mold, is a species of fungus that produces conidia. Taxonomy The fungus was originally described scientifically in 1818 by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg as a member of the genus Stilbospora.

Key takeaways

Stachybotrys chartarum belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Stachybotrys chartarum to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Stachybotrys chartarum from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Stachybotrys chartarum ( STAK-ih-BOT-ris char-TAIR-əm), commonly named black mold, is a species of fungus that produces conidia.

Taxonomy The fungus was originally described scientifically in 1818 by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg as a member of the genus Stilbospora. His diagnosis emphasized the form of the spores, which he described as minute, sub-opaque, ovate, and agglomerated into subconcentric, water-soluble irregular clusters. He noted that the fungus adheres to paper, sometimes forming circles dotted with black. Stanley Hughes transferred the taxon to Stachybotrys in 1958. This genus was circumscribed in 1832 by Czech mycologist August Carl Joseph Corda, with Stachybotrys atra assigned as its type species. The species concept of Stachybotrys chartarum has been controversial, as several studies showed that there were several closely related species and cryptic species all under this name. There are two chemotypes known of S. chartarum, one that produces satratoxin H and one that produces atranones.

Habitat S. chartarum is a slow-growing mold that does not compete well with other molds. It is only rarely found in nature, sometimes being found in soil and grain, but is most often detected in cellulose-rich building materials, such as gypsum-based drywall and wallpaper from damp or water-damaged buildings. It occasionally encounters human habitats with large amounts of cellulose, large temperature fluctuations, low nitrogen, no other molds, no sunlight, and ample constant humidity. The spores are released into the air when the mold is mechanically disturbed, particularly when dry. It is considered an uncommon contaminant of most indoor air.

Potential toxicity Claims of health problems in humans and animals related to this mold have been made since the 1930s. More recently, S. chartarum has been linked with so-called sick building syndrome. However, the link has not been firmly established in the scientific literature. In 1994 the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) asserted that a number of infants in Cleveland, Ohio became sick, and some died from acute idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis (AIPH) following exposure to unusually high levels of S. chartarum spores. A subsequent review done by the CDC found the previous investigation incorrectly analyzed data, and there was no evidence directly linking S. chartarum to AIPH. This was further supported by a lack of S. chartarum in a similar cluster of infant AIPH that occurred in Chicago, Illinois.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Stachybotrys chartarum

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Stachybotrys chartarum claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Stachybotrys chartarum before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Stachybotrys chartarum ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Stachybotrys chartarum

In research: Stachybotrys chartarum appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Stachybotrys chartarum in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Stachybotrys chartarum is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Building biology, Fungi described in 1818, Fungus species, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Stachybotrys chartarum outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Stachybotrys chartarum in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Stachybotrys chartarum means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Stachybotrys chartarum out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Stachybotrys chartarum in simple terms?

Stachybotrys chartarum ( STAK-ih-BOT-ris char-TAIR-əm), commonly named black mold, is a species of fungus that produces conidia. Taxonomy The fungus was originally described scientifically in 1818 by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg as a member of the genus Stilbospora.

Why does Stachybotrys chartarum matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Stachybotrys chartarum?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Stachybotrys chartarum.