Which description matches yeast colony morphology?

• A. Cottony, wooly, powdery, or fluffy
• B. Cobweb-like appearance
• C. Smooth, pasty, mucoid, butyraceous
• D. Dark pigmentation on colonies

Answer: (C)

Yeast colonies on solid media tend to be smooth and creamy because yeast grows as densely packed cells that bud and form a uniform surface. This results in a pasty or mucoid look, sometimes described as butter-like or butyraceous. This smooth, cohesive texture contrasts with molds, which develop hair-like hyphae that create cottony, woolly, powdery, or fluffy surfaces and can even look cobweb-like as spores spread. Pigmentation can occur with both groups, but dark coloration isn’t the defining feature of yeast colonies. So, a smooth, pasty, mucoid, or butyraceous description best matches yeast colony morphology.