Fermentation Kinetics of Different Sugars Essay

Fermentation Kinetics of Different Sugars - Essay Example The findings achieved through the experiment showed an increased rate of fermentation in tubes with glucose and sucrose as the substrate while lactose showed a massively decreased rate of fermentation. The addition of sodium fluoride also caused a decreased rate of fermentation. Analysis of the complete data suggested that the carbohydrates used by Saccharomyces cerevisiae for fermentation play a great role in the final rate of fermentation. Keywords: Saccharomyces cerevisiae, fermentation, carbohydrates, magnesium Fermentation Cells and tissues irrespective of belonging to animal or plant have a minimum requirement of energy. Different processes such as synthesis of molecules, transportation, DNA replication and cell repairs have varying requirements of energy. To successfully complete these processes cells undertake many metabolic processes to achieve their supply of energy. Glucose being the most important carbohydrate and the end product of almost all food sources is the beginnin g point of these metabolic processes. Energy conversion starts from the process of glycolysis. As explained by Agrimi et al., (2011) glycolysis begins with the entry of a single glucose molecule and terminates with the production of two pyruvate molecules. The process immediately yields four ATP molecules. However, with the consumption of two ATP molecules at two different steps in the cycle, the net production via substrate level phosphorylation turns out to be two. Although the process itself is not affected by the presence or absence of oxygen, the final production of the ATPs is hugely affected under hypoxic conditions as only 2 ATP molecules per glucose are produced instead of 36 ATP molecules per every glucose molecule. Depending on the availability of oxygen the pyruvates produced at the end of glycolysis are either shuttled into either cellular respiration / Krebs cycle or they are used in the process of fermentation. Fermentation has been derived from a Latin word ‘fe ver’ meaning to ferment.