Final answer:
Yeast reproduces asexually through budding, producing genetically identical offspring quickly, regulated by environmental factors.
Step-by-step explanation:
Yeast cells reproduce quickly by budding. This is a form of asexual reproduction, so all the yeast cells are genetically identical.
Yeast, as a unicellular fungus, utilizes asexual reproduction through a process known as budding. During budding, a bulge forms on the side of the yeast cell, the nucleus divides through mitosis, and eventually, the bud detaches to form a new, independent yeast cell. Asexual reproduction like budding is beneficial for rapid population growth as it requires only one parent and can occur in a short amount of time, allowing yeast populations to expand quickly and crowd out slower-reproducing organisms.
However, the reproductive rate is often regulated by environmental factors such as food availability, waste accumulation, and predation, which can all impact the success of reproduction and population size.