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     Ever wonder why bread rises or how beer gets its alcohol?  It's because of a very important fungus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, more commonly known as baker's yeast or brewer's yeast.  Bet you didn't realize you were eating and drinking fungus!  It's believed that the Ancient Egyptians discovered Saccharomyces cerevisiae and began using it in bread.  It made their bread rise and become soft and fluffy unlike their usual unleavened bread of the time.  Beer was also discovered in Egypt and along with bread is one of the most common foods in all parts of the world today. 

 

 

      Baker's yeast and brewer's yeast are extremely easy to cultivate, causing them to be commonly used in everyday foods.  Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the most commonly used yeast used in microbiology, and it was actually the first eukaryote to have its entire genome sequenced. 

 

To learn more about Saccharomyces cerevisiae check out the other tabs about its classification, adaptations, and more!  

Or check out other organisms.