Question

Is yeast a fungus?

Answer 1

Yeast are unicellular, eukaryotic organisms. They are those organisms which reproduce asexually by mitosis mainly by budding. In the process of budding, a small outgrowth from the parent plant known as bud forms which grows and finally detaches itself to form a new organism. Size of yeast varies greatly, from 3–4 µm in diameter upto 40 µm in size.

Complete answer:
Yes, yeast are a type of fungus as they belong to the kingdom Fungi. Yeast are unicellular, eukaryotic organisms which originated millions of years ago. Around 1500 species of yeast have been discovered so far. Their size varies greatly from typically measuring 3–4 µm in diameter, although some yeasts can grow to 40 µm in size. They reproduce asexually by mitosis mainly by budding.
Most common yeast is Saccharomyces cerevisiae also known as Baker’s yeast which convert carbohydrate to carbon dioxide and alcohol by the process of fermentation, used in the production of alcoholic beverages and in baking. Some of the species are pathogenic to humans such as Candida albicans.
The most common method of vegetative reproduction is budding, in which a bud forms from a parent organism. Bud continues to grow and then it separates from the parent organism and forms a new cell.

Note:
Yeast is a form of fungus belonging to the kingdom Fungi. Eukaryotic, single celled organisms which vary greatly in size originated millions of years ago. Most common yeast is Brewer’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae used in the process of fermentation which converts carbohydrate to alcohol and carbon dioxide. It is also used in the formation of alcoholic beverages. Some examples of the yeast are- Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Cryptococcus albidus , Candida albicans , etc.