What is the Difference Between Yeast and Fungi?

Yeast and fungi are both eukaryotic microorganisms belonging to the kingdom Fungi. They share several characteristics, such as the presence of chitin in their cell walls and extracellular digestion of food through the release of hydrolytic enzymes. However, they also have distinct differences in their structure, reproduction, and appearance:

• Structure: Fungi can occur as yeasts, molds, or a combination of both forms. Yeasts are microscopic, unicellular fungi that reproduce by budding. In contrast, molds are multicellular and grow in the form of hyphae or mycelium.
• Appearance: Fungi can have various colors and shapes, including fuzzy, filamentous structures. Yeasts, on the other hand, are usually smooth, oval, and white or colorless.
• Reproduction: Yeasts reproduce asexually through budding, while some fungi can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Molds form conidia, which are asexual propagules (reproductive units) formed in various manners.
• Dimorphism: Some fungi are dimorphic, meaning they can grow as yeasts or molds depending on environmental conditions, such as temperature.

Both yeasts and fungi can cause infections in the body and on the skin. Some examples of medically important dimorphic fungi include Blastomyces dermatitidis. Yeast, particularly Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is also used in the baking industry.

Comparative Table: Yeast vs Fungi

Here is a table comparing the differences between yeast and fungi:

Both yeast and fungi belong to the kingdom Fungi and share some common characteristics, such as having a cell wall made up of chitin and being saprotrophs. However, the main difference between them is their structure: yeast is a unicellular, rounded-shape organism, while fungi are multicellular organisms with filamentous hyphae.