What is fermentation?
What is fermentation?
Fermentation is a process used to produce wine, beer, yogurt and other products. Here's a look at the chemical process that occurs during fermentation.
Fermentation is a metabolic process in which an organism converts a carbohydrate, such as starch or a sugar, into an alcohol or an acid. For example, yeast performs fermentation to obtain energy by converting sugar into alcohol. Bacteria perform fermentation, converting carbohydrates into lactic acid.
EXAMPLES OF PRODUCTS FORMED BY FERMENTATION
- beer
- wine
- yogurt
- cheese
- certain sour foods containing lactic acid, including sauerkraut, kimchi, and pepperoni
- bread leavening by yeast
- sewage treatment
- some industrial alcohol production, such as for biofuels
- hydrogen gas
ETHANOL FERMENTATION
Yeast and certain bacteria perform ethanol fermentation where pyruvate (from glucose metabolism) is broken into ethanol and carbon dioxide.
The net chemical equation for the production of ethanol from glucose is:
C6H12O6 (glucose) → 2 C2H5OH (ethanol) + 2 CO2 (carbon dioxide)
Ethanol fermentation has used the production of beer, wine, and bread. It's worth noting that fermentation in the presence of high levels of pectin results in the production of small amounts of methanol, which is toxic when consumed.
LACTIC ACID FERMENTATION
The pyruvate molecules from glucose metabolism (glycolysis) may be fermented into lactic acid. Lactic acid fermentation is used to convert lactose into lactic acid in yogurt production. It also occurs in animal muscles when the tissue requires energy at a faster rate than oxygen can be supplied. The next equation for lactic acid production from glucose is:
C6H12O6 (glucose) → 2 CH3CHOHCOOH (lactic acid)
The production of lactic acid from lactose and water may be summarized as:
C12H22O11 (lactose) + H2O (water) → 4 CH3CHOHCOOH (lactic acid)
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