Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Fungus consisting of unicellular organisms
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question tests a basic fact in microbiology and food science. Bread making commonly uses baker yeast to produce carbon dioxide that makes dough rise. Understanding that this yeast is a fungus, rather than a bacterium or plant, is essential for classifying microorganisms and appreciating their role in food production.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Yeast used in baking is a microorganism that ferments sugars.- The options include fungi, bacteria, seeds, plants and protozoan parasites.- The question focuses on broad biological grouping rather than species name.- No advanced knowledge of fungal taxonomy is required.
Concept / Approach:
Baker yeast, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is a unicellular fungus. When added to bread dough, it ferments sugars to produce carbon dioxide and small amounts of alcohol. The gas bubbles cause the dough to rise, giving bread a light texture. Bacteria also ferment sugars, but common bread yeast is not bacterial. Seeds and plants are multicellular and much larger organisms, and protozoan parasites do not play a role in normal bread making. Knowing that yeast is a fungus allows you to immediately select the correct option.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that yeast used in baking is a single celled microorganism.Step 2: Remember that yeast is classified as a fungus, not as a bacterium or plant.Step 3: Evaluate each option and eliminate those that do not match a unicellular fungal organism.Step 4: Option A clearly states fungus consisting of unicellular organisms, which matches the definition of yeast.Step 5: Select option A as the correct answer.
Verification / Alternative check:
Biology textbooks and food science references explicitly classify yeast as a fungus.Microscopic images of yeast cells show features typical of eukaryotic fungi, including a nucleus and budding reproduction.These observations confirm that yeast belongs to the fungal kingdom.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B is wrong because bacteria are prokaryotic cells lacking a true nucleus, whereas yeast cells are eukaryotic fungi.Option C is wrong because seeds are multicellular reproductive structures of plants and are much larger than yeast cells.Option D is wrong because non vascular plants, such as mosses, are multicellular organisms and are not used as yeast in bread making.Option E is wrong because protozoan parasites live in host tissues or blood and do not perform the fermentation necessary for bread production.
Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes group yeast with bacteria simply because both are microscopic and can ferment sugars.Another pitfall is to think of yeast as plant like due to its use in food, forgetting the fungal classification.Remembering that antifungal medicines target fungal cells, including yeasts, reinforces the distinction between fungi and bacteria in medical and biological contexts.
Final Answer:
Yeast used in making bread belongs to the group of fungi consisting of unicellular organisms.
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