The Order Schizosaccharomycetales is a group of fungi within the phylum Ascomycota, commonly known as fission yeasts. Unlike budding yeasts, members of this order reproduce primarily through binary fission, splitting their cells evenly to form two daughter cells. They are unicellular, eukaryotic organisms found in diverse environments, including soil, plants, and fermented foods. Schizosaccharomycetales species, such as Schizosaccharomyces pombe, are important model organisms in molecular and cellular biology due to their well-characterized cell cycle and genetics. They also play roles in fermentation processes and biotechnology applications.