INTRODUCTION

NUTRITION AND GROWTH ECOLOGY REPRODUCTION USES

Yeast are eukaryotic micro-organism classified in the kingdom fungi.

Yeast are unicellular, although some species become multicellular through the formation of a string of connected budding cells known as pseudohyphae.

yeast size depends on species typically measuring 3-4 m in diameter, some yeast can reach over 40 m .

 By fermentation the yeast converts carbohydrates to carbon dioxide and alcohols. for thousands of years the carbon dioxide has been used in baking and alcohol in alcoholic beverages. It is also extremely important as a model organism in modern cell biology research. The budding yeast are classified in the order saccharomycetales.

 Yeast are chemoorganotrophs as they use organic compounds as a source of energy and do not require sunlight to grow. Yeast grow best in a neutral or slightly acidic ph environment.

Yeasts vary in what temperature range they grow best. For example, Leucosporidium frigidum grows at -2 to 20 C,Saccharomyces telluris at 5 to 35 C and Candida slooffi at 28 to 45 C .
Yeast are aerobic or may be anaerobic.

Yeast are very common in the environment and are often isolated from sugar rich material. Yeasts are generally grown in the laboratory on solid growth media or in liquid broths. Common media used for the cultivation of yeasts include:I. potato dextrose agar (PDA) II. Wallerstein Laboratories nutrient (WLN) agar III. yeast peptone dextrose agar

Yeast like all fungi may have these types of reproductive cycles:-

The most common mode of vegetative growth in yeast is asexual reproduction by budding. A small bud, or daughter cell is formed on the parent cell. The nucleus of the parent Splits into a daughter nucleus and migrates into the daughter cell. The bud continues to grow until it separates from the parent cell forming a new cell.

Fission is the carp of a body or species into parts and the regeneration of those parts into separate individual.

Binary fission is a form of asexual reproduction. The process results in reproduction of a living cell by division into two parts that each have the potential to grow to the size of original cell.

Spores are usually haploid and unicellular and are produced by meiosis in the sporangium by the sporophyte. Once conditions are favorable, the spore can develop into a new organism using mitotic division, producing a multicellular gametophyte. Two gametes fuse to create a new sporophyte. Haploid spores produced by mitosis (known as mitospores) are used by many fungi for asexual reproduction. Spores are the units of asexual reproduction, because a single spore develops into a new organism. By contrast, gametes are the units of sexual reproduction, as two gametes need to fuse to create a new organism

The useful physiological properties of yeast have led to their use in the field of biotechnology. Fermentation of sugars by yeast is the oldest and largest application of this technology. Many types of yeasts are used for making many foods:

Alcoholic beverages are defined as beverages that contain ethanol (C2H5OH). This ethanol is almost always produced by fermentation the metabolism of carbohydrates by certain species of yeast under anaerobic or lowoxygen conditions. Beverages such as mead, wine, beer.

Yeast, most commonly S. cerevisiae, is used in baking as a leavening agent, where it converts the fermentable sugars present in dough into the gas carbon dioxide. This causes the dough to expand or rise as gas forms pockets or bubbles. When the dough is baked, the yeast dies and the air pockets "set", giving the baked product a soft and spongy texture

Yeast is used in making yeast extract.

Yeast is used in Bioremediation. Yeast is used in Industrial ethanol production.

Yeast is used in making Nonalcoholic beverages. Yeast is used in making Nutritional supplements.