Question

Yeast and Penicillium/Penicillin producing fungus are included in
A. Basidiomycetes
B. Zygomycetes
C. Ascomycetes
D. Phycomycetes

Answer 1

Hint: Yeast and Penicillin producing fungi belong to the same class. These are unicellular or multicellular fungi. Yeast is used in bakeries in the preparation of bread, and other foodstuff while Penicillium is used to obtain antibiotics.

Complete answer: Yeast is the lowest species of fungus and evolved as a unicellular organism from multicellular organisms. They do not have a differentiated body. Hyphae are absent. They may live independently or form colonies. They reproduce asexually by budding and in some conditions may produce spores and are used for fermentation of alcohol and making of bread.
Penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928. He observed that the presence of particular fungi inhibited the growth of bacteria. This Penicillin was extracted from Penicillium notatum, Penicillium rubrum, and Penicillium chrysogenum.
Thus, both yeast and Penicillium belong to class Ascomycetes.

Hence, option C is correct

Option A: Basidiomycetes produce sexual spores called basidiospores or a cup-shaped structure called basidium example the ergot fungi
Option B: Zygomycetes produce extended mycelia and asexual and sexual spores. Also called pin moulds or conjugation fungi, example bread mould, etc.
Option C: Ascomycetes produce spores inside elongated sacs known as ascii. They mainly reproduce asexually example yeast and Penicillium.
Option D: They have aseptate hyphae. The main two groups are oomycetes and zygomycetes underclass Phycomycetes example late blight Rhizopus.

Note: Yeast and Penicillium belong to ascomycetes. Yeast have non-differentiated bodies and reproduce asexually. Penicillium have dense brush-like spore bearing structure called penicillin and have multicellular, highly branched, septate hyphae. Conidiophores bearing conidiospores produce asexual spores exogenously.