Monica Deibler, age 15, of Columbia, Tenn., for her question:

HOW DOES MOLD GROW?

Mold is a tiny, simple plant which belongs to the fungi family. Molds develop from a tiny particle called the spore. When the spore settles on damp food, such as bread, it swells and begins to grow by producing tiny hyphae or threads.

Some hyphae, called rhizoids, are like tiny roots. Others, called stolons, spread out on the surface.

Molds are warm weather loving plants but they can tolerate and grow any time during the year in the lower temperatures of the refrigerator. That's what makes molds a major consumer headache.

What should you do if you find some moldy food in your refrigerator? If the food is heavily covered, throw it away immediately. Wrap it in plastic wrap or gently place it in a small paper bag to keep the spores from infecting the rest of the refrigerator.

And then clean the refrigerator. Mold spreads quickly and can invade fruits, vegetables and other food.

The experts recommend that you clean the inside of the refrigerator with one tablespoon of baking soda dissolved in a quart of water. Scrub visible mold on rubber casings.

Also, be sure to keep those great mold spreaders clean and fresh: dishrags, dish cloths, sponges and mops.

If you find a spot of mold on a block of hard cheese, cut off at least an inch around and below the mold spot. Keep your knife or cheese wire out of the mold itself. After the surgery, recover the good cheese in fresh plastic wrap. Don't try to save individual slices of cheese, soft cheese, cottage cheese, cream, sour cream or yogurt if you discover mold.

You can cut a small spot of mold off hard salami by using the cheese rule. Again, keep the knife out of the mold. But be sure to discard moldy bacon, hot dogs, sliced lunch meats, meat pies or moldy chicken.

The best way to keep food from going moldy in the refrigerator is to buy smaller quantities and use it quickly.

You can cut away small spots of mold from the surface of firm fruits and vegetables but you should discard soft vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce) that show mold growth.

Throw away on sight bread that is visibly moldy. Also toss out moldy cake, buns, pastry, rice, beans and peanut butter. Pay special attention to health or so called "natural" foods. Processed without preservatives, they are at high risk for mold.

Molds hold a world class endurance record. Scientists tell us that molds are about 3 billion years old. Dinosaurs are real late comers by comparison since they appeared a mere 220 million years ago.

We're not going to get rid of molds any time soon. Rather, we're going to have to learn how to live with them. They are so hardy because they are so simple. Requiring only minimal moisture and air, mold grows nearly everywhere.