Ethanol fermentation

Ethanol fermentation is a biological process in which sugars such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose are converted into cellular energy and thereby produce ethanol and carbon dioxide as metabolic waste products. Because yeasts perform this conversion in the absence of oxygen, ethanol fermentation is classified as anaerobic.

Process

The process of ethanol fermentation can be divided into two parts. In the first part, glucose is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate through the process of glycolysis. In the second part, the pyruvate molecules are decarboxylated (a carbon atom is removed from the pyruvate), releasing carbon dioxide gas as a waste product. The remaining two-carbon part of the pyruvate molecule is then converted into acetaldehyde, and then reduced to ethanol by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase.

Uses

Ethanol fermentation has been used since ancient times for the production of beer, wine and bread. Today, it is also a key process in the production of biofuel from crops such as corn and sugarcane.

See also

• Yeast
• Fermentation (biochemistry)
• Biofuel
• Glycolysis
• Alcohol dehydrogenase

References

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