Candida albicans is considered a yeast.

Candida albicans is considered a yeast.

• A. Mold
• B. Yeast
• C. Bacteria
• D. Virus

Answer: (B)

Candida albicans is a yeast because it is a fungal organism that grows as single, oval cells that reproduce by budding—classical yeast behavior. Yeasts are defined by this unicellular, budding form, and Candida fits that category even though it can switch to filamentous forms (hyphae or pseudohyphae) under certain conditions. That dimorphic ability explains why you might see different shapes, but the standard classification remains yeast for this organism. This sets it apart from molds, which are filamentous fungi with long hyphae; from bacteria, which are prokaryotic and not fungal; and from viruses, which are noncellular and rely on a host for replication.

Candida albicans is a yeast because it is a fungal organism that grows as single, oval cells that reproduce by budding—classical yeast behavior. Yeasts are defined by this unicellular, budding form, and Candida fits that category even though it can switch to filamentous forms (hyphae or pseudohyphae) under certain conditions. That dimorphic ability explains why you might see different shapes, but the standard classification remains yeast for this organism. This sets it apart from molds, which are filamentous fungi with long hyphae; from bacteria, which are prokaryotic and not fungal; and from viruses, which are noncellular and rely on a host for replication.