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Fermentation is a an extremely common reaction. From foods to alcohol, it is seen everywhere. Maybe you know some about it, or remember covering it in freshman biology, but what does this newfound knowledge of function groups reveal about the process? What does it reveal about organic chemical reactions as a whole?
Fermentation is a process which turns glucose (C6H12O6) into ethanol (CH3CH2OH). In order to break down the glucose, a specific type of bacteria, yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), is usually added to the sugar. So, glucose found in fruits or grains are placed into a sealed container with water, and trace amounts of yeast in the environment will react with the sugars to form both ethanol and carbon dioxide. The pop and spray of a champagne bottle or the bubbling of a beer occurs because of the excess carbon dioxide build up in the liquid from fermentation. The container or vat that the glucose is placed into must be sealed or the ingredients will simply spoil.
There is another type of fermentation found in people's muscles known as lactic acid fermentation. While this course is going to cover only alcoholic fermentation, lactic acid fermentation is just as interesting and important to us.
An ethanol molecule is pictured above. Ethanol plays many roles in our lives. Just to name a few, it...
-kills bacteria in sanitizers and cleaners
-is a solvent in paint and paint thinners
-used in the formation of plastics
-helps preserve products like creams and lotions
-is the intoxicating agent in wines, beers, and other forms of alcohol
-even is being used as an eco-friendly and renewable alternative to traditional fuels. To hear more about its use in vehicles, watch this video from Donut Media.
While on an industrial scale, the process is optimized and tweaked, all ethanol still comes from the process listed above. Through oxidation and distillation, ethanol can also be made into ethanoic acid. Ethanoic acid is also known as acetic acid, the key ingredient of vinegar. While the simulation is locked behind a paywall, watch this quick video to see what a fermentation lab may look like.
The fermentation process is obviously very involved. Lets look at it on a chemical level to see what is going on. First, glucose undergoes a process known as glycolysis. This breaks the glucose down into pyruvate. Next, pyruvic acid is reduced to acetaldehyde. Finally, acetaldehyde is reduced to ethanol. Watch this video to see this process again. Each intermediate of this step has a functional group. Analyze the drawing above to see if you can identify the reduction order of the functional groups in fermentation.
Are you a fermentation expert yet? Take the quiz to find out.
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