Candida albicans is a type of yeast that is commonly used as a model organism for biology. It is generally referred to as a dimorphic fungus since it grows both as yeast and filamentous cells. However it has several different morphological phenotypes that are discussed more in detail in the chapter on Morphology. Different morphological forms of Candida albicans: the scale bar is 50 µm. It is a common member of human gut flora and does not seem to proliferate outside mammalian hosts. It is detectable in the gastrointestinal tract and mouth in 40-60% of healthy adults. It is usually a commensal organism, but can become pathogenic in immunocompromised individuals under a variety of conditions. It is one of the few species of the Candida genus that cause the infection candidiasis in humans. Overgrowth of the fungus results in candidiasis (candidosis). Candidiasis is for example often observed in HIV-infected patients. C. albicans is the most common fungal species isolated from biofilms either formed on (permanent) implanted medical devices or on human tissue. C. albicans, together with C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis and C. glabrata, is responsible for 50–90% of all cases of candidiasis in humans. A mortality rate of 40% has been reported for patients with systemic candidiasis due to C. albicans. Estimates range from 2800 to 11200 deaths caused annually in the USA due to C. albicans causes candidiasis.
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