Why does glucose allow fermentation in yeast the most?
What characteristics of glucose or yeast might make glucose the best for fermentation. Also, what characteristics of Starch causes yeast to ferment the least?
2 Responses
blueb3
09 Feb 2010
Alone GuY
09 Feb 2010
Sugar (glucose or fructose) → alcohol (ethanol) + carbon dioxide
C6H12O6 → 2 CH3CH2OH + 2 CO2
THe 6 carbon sugar GLUCOSE is best suited for production of ethanol.
Starch is a bunch of glucose molecules strung together in a chain called a polymer.
In order for fermentation to occur it has to be the simple glucose, not it’s polymer.
I don’t know if yeast could break down starch, if it couldn’t that’s why. If it could break down starch, it’s because the yeast had to break down the starch into glucose first.
(additional detail, amylase is the name of the enzyme that the body uses to break down starch. It’s found in your saliva. I bet if you spit on the starch experiment the yeast would ferment more.)