Fermentation and Photosynthesis Comparison

Fermentation can be described by the simple reaction: C6H12O6 + yeast - > 2C2H5OH (ethanol) + 2CO2. Fermentation is most efficient when there is a high sugar content for the yeast to ferment. Thus, for the experiment you should start with grape juice that has a high sugar concentration for the yeast. The juice would then be placed in fermenting vessels that will have to be air-tight so that oxidation will be prevented and bacteria will not grow. Afterwards fermentation will continue slowly for about ten to thirty days. An experiment can be designed to serve to find which temperatures fermentation is ideal in so different vats will be assigned to different fermentation temperatures. After a decided time the level of efficiency of the fermentation of the yeast in each vessel will be tested by analyzing the about of CO2 produced. The amount of CO2 produced will reflect on how much fermentation occurred as CO2 is a bi-product of yeast fermentation.

Fermentation is basically the conversion of carbohydrates into alcohol or acid. There are many forms of fermentation. There is anaerobic fermentation which does not require oxygen and there is also aerobic metabolism that poweres fermentation. Homolactic fermetnation makes lactic acid from pyruvate and alcoholic fermentation turns pyruvate into ethanol and carbon dioxide and heterolactic fermentation makes lactic acid and also some alcohol. Ethanol is the drinkable type of alcohol. Fermentation often creates many waste products that cannot be metabolized without oxygen. This makes fermentation less efficient in producing ATP. In cellular respiration, oxidative phosphorilization is better and more efficient.

Fermentation and photosynthesis sometimes work in pairs. Photosynthesis provides the reactants necessary to make power fermentation in plants. Likewise, in animals, glucose would come from ingested foods. All plants perform photosynthesis even when they are in the water. Photosynthesis is the process, which the plant absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen.

6H2O + 6CO2 +Light - - - - - > C6H12O6+ 6O2

Elodeas are specific type of water plants that could be used in this experiment. The experiment would be repeated with the light at different distances from the plants in order to simulate changing light intensities. The generated bubbles from the water plant in this experiment reveal that water plants perform photosynthesis in water. The control group of this experiment would be the plant with natural light source without any light bulb. As the light intensity increases by placing the light bulb closer to the water plant, more bubbles would be generated, which indicates the faster rate of photosynthesis.