A comparative study was made of the growth of yeast in various media at the optimum temperature (30 ) and at supraoptimum temperatures. It was found that at elevated temperatures there is a decrease in the ability of yeast to grow, which may be alleviated by increasing the percentage of yeast extract in the medium, adding oleic acid to the medium, or using an inoculum of cells that have previously been grown at the elevated temperature. Because of these findings, it is believed that growth at elevated temperatures results in an increased nutrient requirement which may be eliminated by induced adaptation. When yeasts were grown at elevated temperatures or exposed for a short time to lethal temperatures it was found that there was a great increase in the fraction of respiratory-deficient mutants (petites). It was shown that the increase of mutants did not arise because of selection, but that the elevated temperatures actually induced the mutation. From the results of various genetic analyses it is shown that these respiratorydeficient mutants are very similar, if not identical. to vegetative petites occurring spontaneously or induced by acriflavine. The kinetics of this mutation is discussed, with possible theoretical interpretations. (auth)