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Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of fruiting bodies (conidiophores) and hyphae of the fungus Aspergillus niger. A. niger is a widely distributed saprophyte which grows on household dust, soil, and decaying vegetable matter, including stale food. A. niger is a thermophilic fungus and an opportunistic pathogen. It is one of the most common causes of otomycosis (fungal ear infections) and may result in the serious lung disease aspergillosis in people with compromised immune function or other lung diseases. A. niger is used for waste management and biotransformation in addition to other industrial uses, such as production of citric acid and extracellular enzymes. Magnification: x415 when printed at 10cm wide. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/JANNICKE WIIK-NIELSEN/VETINST/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY)