Living Beings
    Source-identified Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Source-identified documentary image; see the original file for method and context. Framed for display
    1 / 1

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae 01.jpg · Resized and converted to WebP for display. Source-identified documentary image; see the original file for method and context. Ganesh Mohan T · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Field guide · species

    Brewer's Yeast

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    FungiSaccharomycetesSaccharomycetalesSaccharomycetaceae

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a budding yeast associated with both natural substrates and human fermentation. Its single-celled growth form makes it a fungus without making it a mushroom, and its genetics has become central to cell biology.

    Public research profile · final editorial review pending.

    Compare species
    Tree of lifeScientific lineage
    1. LifeLife
    2. DomainEukaryota
    3. KingdomFungi
    4. PhylumAscomycota
    5. ClassSaccharomycetes
    6. OrderSaccharomycetales
    7. FamilySaccharomycetaceae
    8. GenusSaccharomyces
    9. SpeciesSaccharomyces cerevisiae
    Advanced classification

    Complete source lineage, including intermediate ranks. The standard view uses Life and the eight principal ranks.

    1. cellular organisms cellular root
    2. Eukaryota domain
    3. Opisthokonta clade
    4. Fungi kingdom
    5. Dikarya subkingdom
    6. Ascomycota phylum
    7. saccharomyceta clade
    8. Saccharomycotina subphylum
    9. Saccharomycetes class
    10. Saccharomycetales order
    11. Saccharomycetaceae family
    12. Saccharomyces genus
    13. Saccharomyces cerevisiae species
    Open in taxonomy explorer ↗

    Structure and identification

    Vegetative cells are usually rounded to oval. Small buds grow from mother cells and remain attached until division is completed.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Habitat and range

    Sugar-containing substrates and fermentation environments support suitable strains. Culture media reproduce only selected parts of these conditions.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Nutrition and metabolism

    Sugars provide carbon and energy. Depending on conditions, metabolism includes respiration and fermentation that produces ethanol and carbon dioxide.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Biological activity

    Growth responds to available nutrients and stress. Cells can alter their physiology as resources become depleted.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Reproduction and life cycle

    Budding increases cell number. Compatible haploid cells can mate; diploid cells can undergo meiosis and form spores under appropriate conditions.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Geographic distribution

    The yeast is maintained and transported worldwide. Fermentation strains do not describe the distribution of all wild populations.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Ecological role

    The yeast participates in communities on organic substrates and in managed fermentations.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Distinctive adaptations

    Flexible carbon metabolism and stress responses support life in changing sugar-rich environments.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Evidence

    Sources

    Connected life

    No reviewed ecological connections in the collection yet.

    Explore network ↗