The Effect of Sugar Substitutes on Yeast Respiration

1110 Words3 Pages

Introduction The purpose of this investigation is to test the effects of multiple sugar substances on the respiration of yeast. Most people think of yeast when they think of what makes bread rise, cheese, alcoholic beverages, or other food products. Another type of yeast can also cause yeast infections, an infection of the skin. Yeasts (Saccharomyces) are tiny, microscopic organisms with a thin membrane and are usually oval or circular-shaped. They are a type of single-celled fungi of the class Ascomycetes, capable of processing sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2 ) ; this process is known as fermentation. Fermentation and the products are the main focus points for this experiment being that cellular respiration of yeasts happens via the process of fermentation, which creates by-products of alcohol and CO2. The level of CO2 produced by the yeasts will show how effective each sugar substance is in providing cellular energy for the yeasts. The name for the process of fermentation comes from ‘fervere’, the Latin word meaning “to boil”. Early observers of the process assigned this name to it because as fermentation occurred in barrels containing crushed grapes, being used to create wine, bubbles were produced making it appear as though the mixture were boiling. Yeasts have been secretly creating alcoholic (fermented) beverages since ancient times in Asia, Egypt, Babylon, and many other early civilizations. However, no one knew what made the process work and what made the creation of such fermented beverages possible. When people think of traditional wine makers, it is not uncommon to picture someone standing in a large bucket mashing up grapes with their feet. These ancient wine makers realized that for some odd r... ... middle of paper ... ..."Honey vs. Sugar - Which Is Healthier?" Go Ask Alice! Columbia Health, 18 May 1995. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. "Nutrition and Healthy Eating." Artificial Sweeteners and Other Sugar Substitutes. Mayo Clinic, 9 Oct. 2012. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. Reinke, Beth Bence. "How Sweet It Is: Sorting Out Sweeteners." CBN. The Christian Broadcasting Network, 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. Singh, R. Paul. "Sugar (chemical Compound)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. "Yeast." HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com, 15 Oct. 2008. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. Zamora, Antonio. "Carbohydrates - Chemical Structure." Scientific Psychic. N.p., 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. Zamora, Antonio. "Sugar Substitutes and Artificial Sweeteners Chemical Structure." Chemical Structure of Sugar Substitutes and Artificial Sweeteners. Scientific Psychic, 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.

Open Document