Yeast Fermentation

Adapted from:
http://www.qacps.k12.md.us/cms/sci/cell/Lab_Yeast.doc

Background Information:
Yeast are tiny single-celled (unicellular) fungi.
The organisms in the Kingdom Fungi are not
capable of making their own food. Fungi, like
any other organism, need food for energy.
They rely on sugar found in their environment
to provide them with this energy so that they
can grow and reproduce.
Yeast, like bacteria grow in or on their food
source. They produce and release digestive
proteins (enzymes) into their environment
where the sugar molecules are found. Sugar
molecules then break down into smaller
molecules that can be absorbed by the yeast
and used for food (energy).

There are many species of yeast, and each has a

particular food source.
Certain yeast feed on a variety of natural sources of
sugar such as fruits, nectar from plants, and
molasses from the plant crop called sorghum.
Others break down wood and corn stalks. In doing
this, a compound called ethanol is produced. This
compound can be used in our cars like gasoline.
Another species breaks down sugar from grain into
alcohol. Others break down fruits into wine, which is
another type of alcohol.
Bread recipes rely on yeast to break down sugar in
our dough.

All of these processes are called fermentation, a type

of anaerobic respiration (respiration without oxygen).
The formula for the yeast fermentation reaction is:
C6H12O6

Reactant
Products
>>>>>>>
2CH3CH2OH + 2CO2 + energy for 2 ATP molecules

Glucose breaks down into ethyl alcohol + carbon

dioxide + energy for 2 ATP molecules.
For the yeast cell, this chemical reaction is necessary
to produce the energy for life. The alcohol and the
carbon dioxide carbon dioxide are waste products
produced by the yeast. It is these waste products that
we take advantage of. We use the alcohol and the
carbon dioxide makes a cake rise when baking.

The chemical reaction, known as fermentation,

can be watched and measured by the
amount of carbon dioxide gas that is
produced from the break down of glucose.
Do you think that the volume of carbon dioxide
produced during fermentation would be
affected by using different masses of
sugar????
In this exercise you will add the same amounts
of yeast and water to different amounts of
sugar in water bottles and cap them with a
balloon to see how much carbon dioxide gas
is produced. The more the fermentation, the
more that carbon dioxide will be produced,
and the more the balloon will expand.

You should include the following

components in your lab report:
11
11
11
11
11
11
11

Name(s), date of experiment, title

Purpose statement:
Prelab questions
Procedure-to be created as a class
Data table
Graph of class data
Answers to analysis questions

Prelab Questions
1. Write out the equations for aerobic
cellular respiration and anaerobic
fermentation.
2. Create a table to compare the two
equations. List at least 2 differences and
2 similarities between the equations.
3. What is an advantage to cellular
respiration?
4. What is an advantage to fermentation?

Materials

5 yeast packets
Sugar
Erlenmeyer flask
5 balloons
Warm water
String
Meter stick
Rubber band
Stopwatch
Spoons

Procedure
1. Blow balloon up to circumference of 65cm and release
air.
2. Add 100ml of hot tap water to flask.
3. Add grams of sugar to flask (5g, 10g, 15g, 20g, 25g,
30g, 35g)
4. Add 1 complete packet of yeast
5. Place empty balloon over flask opening, secure with
rubberband.
6. Gently shake to mix contents.
7. Measure circumference of balloon every 5 minutes for
25minutes.

Data Table:
Group
1
2
3
4
5

5 min

10min

15min

20min

25min

Analysis Questions
1. Which groups balloon reached the largest size?
2. What substance was collected in the balloon?
How do you know?
3. What were the independent and dependent
variables in this experiment?
4. Which group was the control? Why is it
considered the control? What is its purpose?
5. Write a brief summary describing what you saw
happen in this experiment and then give your
explanation of the results. (why)