The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae reproduces by mitosis as diploid cells when nutrients are abundant, but when starved, this yeast undergoes meiosis to form haploid spores.

Do yeast release spores?

In sexual reproduction, a single yeast cell undergoes meiosis and produces haploid spores; these spores can recombine with other haploid spores, producing a diploid cell – the yeast's “normal” state.

How does yeast reproduce?

Yeasts reproduce by budding (asexual reproduction), when a small bud forms and splits to form a new daughter cell, but under stress conditions they can produce spores (a form of sexual reproduction).