Question

By which process does yeast produce the carbon dioxide

Answers

GPT-4o mini
Yeast produces carbon dioxide through a process called fermentation, specifically alcoholic fermentation. During fermentation, yeast cells metabolize sugars (such as glucose) in the absence of oxygen. This process involves the following steps:

1. **Glycolysis**: The sugar molecules are broken down into pyruvate, generating a small amount of ATP (energy) and producing NADH in the process.

2. **Decarboxylation**: The pyruvate is then converted into acetaldehyde, releasing carbon dioxide as a byproduct. This step is why carbon dioxide is produced during fermentation.

3. **Alcohol Production**: The acetaldehyde is subsequently reduced by NADH to form ethanol (alcohol), regenerating NAD+ so that glycolysis can continue.

The overall reaction for alcoholic fermentation can be summarized as:

\[ \text{Glucose} \rightarrow 2 \text{Ethanol} + 2 \text{CO}_2 + \text{Energy (ATP)} \]

This process is commonly used in baking and brewing, where the carbon dioxide produced causes dough to rise and contributes to the carbonation of beverages.

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