Mushrooms are bigger, fleshier, and "wear" large, rounded caps on a stem-like base. Inside these caps are many spores, a pod-like form the mushroom uses to reproduce. Molds are much smaller, thread-like fungi that have even tinier spores.

Just as there are some types of mushrooms you should avoid eating, there are some molds that can be safely eaten. One example is the mold that gives Bleu cheese its distinct taste and greenish-blue flecks of color.

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