Identification of yeast spores on a photomicrograph - (Apr/25/2013 )

This picture is from a stool sample. The fresh spores were slightly autoflouresent, more green than blue like coccidia. Spores are about 5 microns in size. They are stained here with Giemsa. I couldn't find much else. Any ideas as to what they are?

I'm not a yeast expert but I really doubt you can identify just with this and actually, they may not be yeasts but other fungus, I have a non-yeast Ascomycota in the lab which germinating spores are much like real yeasts but DNA says it is not a yeast.

These do resemble yeast cells. Tho' some have referred to yeast cells as "blastospores", they are vegetative and not spores in a bacterial or fungal context. Suggest you culture on selective media to confirm. Be aware that Candida albicans is normal flora in ~ 80% of us.

Also be aware that "yeasts" are not a unique group of fungi so there are no "real yeasts" and DNA will not say a fungus is not a yeast. The term just describes a morphology that it's assume can be established by any fungus under the right conditions. As El Crazy says, germinating conidiospores can appear to be establishing a yeast-like morphology but you'd see some hyphal extensions.