Difference Between Molds and Yeast

Molds vs Yeast

Both molds and yeast belong to the kingdom of Fungus, and are Eukaryotes.

Molds are microorganisms which have a tendency to grow with help of multiple celled filaments called as hyphae, whereas yeast is a microscopic form of fungi having just a one cell.

The molds are long cells look like threads which comprise the structure of filamentous fungi, on the other yeasts are either round or oval in shape. There are 1500 types of yeasts and the size of the cell dimensions is based on the type. It is usually from 3 µm – 40 µm in diameter. There are 400,000 types of mold and their sizes also depend of the type. Yeast is a not a sporing species of fungi whereas mold is a sporing fungi.

Not all types of molds create disease or spoil food. Some are useful in biodegradation. Yeasts are used in the making of alcoholic beverages which contain ethanol. The ethanol is always produced by fermentation by using certain species of yeast. Yeasts are also used in baking, bioremediation, industrial ethanol production, probiotics, and food addictive or flavours.

Yeasts are predominantly found in the ocean and they reproduce asexually. They multiply through the process of budding or binary fission in which a nucleus is divided into two or more nuclei. These are generally unicellular; however some yeast species may become multi-cellular through the forming of series of connected budding cells (aka false hyphae). Molds, on the other hand, sexually and asexually reproduce into multi-cellular form.

Generally, molds are very very colourful compared to yeast. Both molds and yeasts are considered parasites since they are opportunistic organisms, and they have to be in their host to grow, live and reproduce.

Summary:
‘¢ Yeasts ‘“ fungi, unicellular, asexual reproduction through budding, colourless parasite
‘¢ Molds- fungi, multicellular, sexual& asexual reproduction, colourful parasite

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