Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae (pronounced sack-ah-ro-my-sees ser-uh-veez-ee-ay) is a special kind of living thing that is made out of tiny cells. It is also called yeast, and it is used to make bread, beer, and some other things that we like to eat and drink.

Each of the tiny cells is shaped like a little sphere with a sticky outer coat, kind of like a raisin. These cells are so small that you need a really powerful microscope to see them.

When people make bread, they mix flour, water, and yeast together, and then they let the mixture sit in a warm place for a while. The yeast cells start to eat the sugar in the flour, and this makes them grow bigger and stronger. After a while, they make a gas called carbon dioxide, which makes the bread dough puff up like a balloon.

In beer, the yeast cells eat the sugar in the liquid and make alcohol and carbon dioxide. This is why beer is fizzy and can make you feel a little bit funny if you drink too much of it.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is really important to us because it helps us make some of our favorite foods and drinks.