Final answer:
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, or brewer's yeast, is used as a model organism in biology, especially for studying cellular processes like meiosis and mitosis, because of its comparable eukaryotic cellular structure and signaling pathways to humans, its ease of genetic modification, and the fact that its entire genome has been sequenced.
Step-by-step explanation:
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, commonly known as brewer's or baker's yeast, is a model organism for studying various biological processes due to its similarities with eukaryotic cells, including those of humans. The utility of S. cerevisiae in scientific research lies in the fact that it shares many essential biological functions with more complex organisms. It is especially useful for studying cellular phenomena such as meiosis, mitosis, and cellular signaling pathways due to its simplistic eukaryotic nature, making it easier to understand these processes. Furthermore, its amenability to genetic modification, rapid growth, and the presence of many of the same classes of signaling proteins as humans make it an adequate surrogate for studying human cellular processes. The sequencing of its entire genome has further amplified its role in biological research.