Baker's yeast is the common name for the strains of yeast commonly used in baking bread and bakery products, serving as a leavening agent which causes the bread to rise (expand and become lighter and softer) by converting the fermentable sugars present in the dough into carbon dioxide and ethanol. Baker's yeast is of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and is the same species (but a different strain) as the kind commonly used in alcoholic fermentation, which is called brewer's yeast. Baker's yeast is also a single-cell microorganism found on and around the human body. (extracted from Wikipedia)

Commercial yeast is a faster and cheaper alternative to sourdough starter, which is usually much slower yet better tasting.