Which organism is known to produce chlamydospores on cornmeal agar?

Which organism is known to produce chlamydospores on cornmeal agar?

• A. Candida albicans
• B. Candida glabrata
• C. Candida tropicalis
• D. Candida parapsilosis

Answer: (A)

Cornmeal agar is used to reveal specific yeast morphologies that help identify Candida species. Candida albicans is known for forming chlamydospores on this medium—thick-walled, spherical or ovoid resting cells that develop from hyphal tissue, typically at the ends of filaments or in older colonies. This distinctive feature is a classic diagnostic clue for C. albicans in the lab. The other Candida species listed generally do not produce chlamydospores on cornmeal agar (they may show other forms like pseudohyphae and blastoconidia instead). So, the organism that shows chlamydospore formation on cornmeal agar is Candida albicans.

Cornmeal agar is used to reveal specific yeast morphologies that help identify Candida species. Candida albicans is known for forming chlamydospores on this medium—thick-walled, spherical or ovoid resting cells that develop from hyphal tissue, typically at the ends of filaments or in older colonies. This distinctive feature is a classic diagnostic clue for C. albicans in the lab. The other Candida species listed generally do not produce chlamydospores on cornmeal agar (they may show other forms like pseudohyphae and blastoconidia instead). So, the organism that shows chlamydospore formation on cornmeal agar is Candida albicans.