Yeast

Yeast, any of certain economically important single-celled fungi (kingdom Fungi), most of which are in the phylum Ascomycota, only a few being Basidiomycota. Yeasts are found worldwide in soils and on plant surfaces and are especially abundant in sugary mediums such as flower nectar and fruits. The types commonly used in the production of bread, beer, and wine are selected strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The small cakes and packets of yeast used in food- and beverage-processing contain billions of individual yeast cells, each about 0.003 inch (0.075 mm) in diameter. Yeasts reproduce asexually by budding: a small bump protrudes from a parent cell, enlarges, matures, and detaches. A few yeasts reproduce by fission, the parent cell dividing into two equal cells. Some yeasts are mild to dangerous pathogens of humans and other animals (e.g., Candida albicans, Histoplasma, Blastomyces).

Reference: Encyclopedia Britannica (Yeast)