The Kingdom of Fungi:

As noted, the fungal world includes smuts, rust, mildew, yeast, mushrooms, and mold.  Specialists would insist that all these forms of fungi have their roles to play in the complex ecosystems we have on this Planet, some are even useful, such as yeasts used in the food industry, culinary and medicinal mushrooms, and anti-bacterial molds used to make both natural and pharmaceutical medicine.

Yeasts:

Unicellular fungi that reproduce by budding or fission.  A typical example affecting health would be Candida albicans.  As with molds, there are yeasts that are used commercially as well as those that are pathogenic.

Just as scientists were unsure how to classify fungi, the borderline between yeasts and molds is not hard and fast.  In theory, the difference between yeasts and molds is mainly in their methods of reproduction.  Yeasts are asexual and "fruit" or "bud" daughters; however, there are yeasts, including Candida albicans, that sprout a hypha which penetrate mucosal membrances and become much more irritating and destructive.

 

 

 

 

Ingrid Naiman

Copyright by Ingrid Naiman 2005

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