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Metabolism of Sugars by Yeast

BY: Guillermo Morillo

Cells & Molecules (BIO 1200)

SPRING 2020

STOCKTON UNIVERISTY

BIOLOGY PROGRAM

Instructor: Dr. Adam Aguiar

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Abstract:

Through time humans have learned how to use yeast’s anaerobic fermentation to benefit them

such as for making alcohol or bread. This metabolization of sugars works at different rates

depending on the sugar that the yeast has to work with. An experiment was set up in which yeast

was given four different types of sugars as well as one of the sugars with an enzyme to break it

down in order to see which sugar would be catabolized the fastest. Fructose was catabolized the

fastest with the control (water) being catabolized the slowest.

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Introduction:

Before Common Era, the people of the past learned how to make wines and beers through

mixing fruits with different grains together and letting them sit over time. This process would

make the mixture develop alcohol and it would start to bubble. Although they did not understand

this process, through trial and error and the use of many grapes our ancestors were able to hone

this craft to produce a drink that is appealing in taste and contains alcohol to get intoxicated with.

(Alba-Lois 2) We now understand that this process was fermentation through the use of the

microorganism known as yeast.

Fermentation is an anaerobic process in which cells are able to create energy by breaking down

sugar and without the use of oxygen. Although this process does not produce anywhere near as

much energy as aerobic respiration, it is very useful in areas where there is a lack of oxygen. We

humans can use anaerobic fermentation in the lack of oxygen such as when running or working

out. When our cells do this, we produce lactic acid as a biproduct which feels like a burn or

soreness in our muscles. When yeast cells do this, they produce ethanol and carbon dioxide as a

biproduct. This explains the observed the alcohol created and the bubbling our ancestors noticed

when creating their wine. The key to being able to understand this process lies within

understanding yeast and its ability to break down sugars and how efficient it is at it.

In “Metabolism of Sugars by Yeast” in the BIOL1205 Cells and Molecules Laboratory

Notebook by The Stockton University Biology Department, yeast is defined as single-celled

Eukaryote that can metabolize some sugars and foods well but not others. (BIO1205 67)

Although yeast can metabolize sugars in anaerobic fermentation, it is unclear which sugar it can

metabolize the fastest. I hypothesize that yeast will metabolize glucose the fastest as it is one of
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the most abundant monosaccharides and is made as a plant byproduct of photosynthesis, which is

the key to life.

Methods:

We began this experiment by adding one package of Baker’s yeast to 130 mL of water and

placing it in a warm bath. We then mixed 2mL of yeast with 2 mL the sugars: glucose, sucrose,

fructose, and lactose in test tubes as well as an additional test tube with yeast, lactose and

Lactaid. The mixtures were then incubated for ten minutes before being placed in metabolic

chambers. Once the mixture was inside a chamber, we measured the amount of carbon dioxide

given off by the mixture as it is reacting over the span of four minutes.

Results:

Lab Group Raw Data

5000
4500
4000
CO2 Production (Ppms)

3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240
Time (Seconds)

Glucose Sucrose Fructose

Lactose lactose + Lactaid Water (control)

Figure 7.1 Lab Group Raw Data (This figure shows the amount of CO2 released by the

metabolism of each sugar by yeast over the course of four minutes. Water is used as the control)
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Lactose+ Lactaid produced the lowest amount of CO2 during its metabolism out of all the sugars.

Sucrose produced the highest amount of CO2 during its metabolism out of all of the sugars.

Lab Group Results

12

10
Metabolic Rate (ppm/sec)

0
Glucose Sucrose Fructose Lactose Lactose + Water(Control)
Lactaid

Sugar

Figure 7.2 Lab Group Results (This bar graph represents the metabolic rates of each sugar)

Fructose has the highest metabolic rate out of all the sugars. Sucrose had the second highest

metabolic rate. Lactose+ Lactaid had the lowest metabolic rate it was lower than water which

was the control.

Class Averages
10
9
Metabolic Rate (ppm/sec)

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Glucose Sucrose Fructose Lactose Lactose + Water(Control)
Lactaid
Sugar
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Figure 7.3 Class Averages (This bar graph represents the average metabolic rate of each sugar

for the class)

Fructose has the highest metabolic rate out of all the sugars. Water has the lowest metabolic rate.

Discussion:

Based on the lab group data, Fructose was metabolized the fastest, secondly was sucrose. The

data for Lactose and Lactose+ Lactaid was inconclusive as it is not possible for lactose with the

enzyme to break it down in it to metabolize slower than lactose by itself, or for it to be slower

than water. Some groups got wild numbers for their glucose and sucrose and therefore could not

be added to the data. Figure 7.1 shows a brief decrease for lactose+ lactaid at the 180 mark which

could show that the machine was having problems reading the amount of CO2 being produced.

Overall the class average data seems to be more accurate than our lab group data with Fructose

metabolizing the fastest and water metabolizing the slowest which would make sense since there

is a lack of sugar. I was incorrect in the hypothesis that the yeast would metabolize glucose the

fastest. Glucose had the slowest metabolization rate for the class data. This could, however, be

from the data that was missing from a few groups. Some errors in this project could have been

from human errors such as adding the wrong amount of the sugars or yeast into the test tubes.

Other problems could have happened by creating an air bubble while pipetting ingredients into

the tubes which would have caused the tube to receive less of the necessary ingredient. The

biggest error came from the CO2 gas sensors which seemed to be very finicky. Half of the

instruments available did not work and projected wildly inaccurate readings and the ones that did

work would stop functioning for a bit which could have had to do with the length of use. The

instrument being old could be starting to affect their ability to measure CO2. If one were to

recreate this experiment, precautions should be taken when measuring the ingredients properly,
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so the solution is right. Also, make sure that the CO2 gas sensor is fully operational before

starting. I recommend doing 2 samples of each solution that way if the machine messes up in

recording one of the data sets you still have another one and if it ends up not messing up then

you can just average your data to make it more accurate.

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References:

“Metabolism of Sugars by Yeast” BIOL1205 Cells and Molecules Laboratory Notebook.

Stockton University.

Yeast Fermentation and the Making of Beer and Wine Alba-Lois, L. & Segal-Kischinevzky, C.

(2010) Beer & Wine Makers. Nature Education 3(9):17