Yeast is a type of single-celled fungus that has several distinctive features. Here are two of them:
- Fermentation: Yeast is capable of carrying out a process called fermentation, which involves the conversion of sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This property makes yeast an important ingredient in the production of bread, beer, and wine.
- Reproduction: Yeast reproduces asexually by budding. This process involves the formation of a small protrusion, or bud, on the surface of the yeast cell, which grows in size until it separates from the parent cell to form a new, genetically identical cell. This allows yeast to rapidly reproduce and colonize new environments.