What Do Bread and Beer Have in Common?

http://www.teachengineering.org/view_lesson.php?url=collection/duk_/lessons/duk_cellresp_mary_less/duk_cellresp_mary_less.xmllessontext/xmlWhat Do Bread and Beer Have in Common?Engineering K-Ph.D. Program, yeastcellular respirationfermentationalcoholalcoholism

Students are presented with information that will allow them to recognize that yeasts are unicellular organisms that are useful to humans. In fact, their usefulness is derived from the contrast between the way yeast cells and human cells respire. Specifically, while animal cells derive energy from the combination of oxygen and glucose and produce water and carbon dioxide as by-products, yeasts respire without oxygen. Instead, yeasts break glucose down and produce alcohol and carbon dioxide as their by-products. The lesson is also intended to provoke questions from students about the effects of alcohol on the human body, to which the teacher can provide objective answers.

This lesson and the associated activity contain biomedical, chemical and environmental engineering topics covering elements of biotechnology, applications of experimental and analytical techniques in living systems, food processing, in particular, the consumption of alcohol and its effects on the human body. Students will be able to compare and contrast cellular respiration in yeast vs. plant and animal cells. Students will be able to describe the role of yeasts in the production of bread and alcoholic beverages. Students will be able to describe the short-term effects of alcohol on the human nervous and digestive systems. Students will be able to describe the long-term effects of alcohol that are the result of alcoholism. 1TeachEngineering.orgMary R. Hebrank (Project and Lesson/Activity Consultant), Engineering K-Ph.D Program, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University“Alcohol”, National Geographic, February 1992. Alcoholism, Time-Life Medical, 1996. FAQ’s on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/faq/faq.htm , May 14, 2002. S1014376North_CarolinaMath4.01 Collect, organize, analyze, and display data (including box plots and histograms) to solve problems.77S100C65ANorth_CarolinaMath4.01 Collect, organize, analyze, and display data (including scatterplots) to solve problems.88S10284BANorth_CarolinaScience1.05 Analyze evidence to: • Explain observations.77S10284BDNorth_CarolinaScience1.06 Use mathematics to gather, organize, and present quantitative data resulting from scientific investigations: • Measurement.77S10284C4North_CarolinaScience1.08 Use oral and written language to: • Defend conclusions of scientific investigations.77S102853CNorth_CarolinaScience1.05 Analyze evidence to: • Explain observations.88S102853FNorth_CarolinaScience1.06 Use mathematics to gather, organize, and present quantitative data resulting from scientific investigations: • Measurement.88S1028546North_CarolinaScience1.08 Use oral and written language to: • Communicate findings.88S10285B9North_CarolinaScience6.01 Describe cell theory: • All living things are composed of cells.88S10285BDNorth_CarolinaScience6.02 Analyze structures, functions, and processes within animal cells for: • Capture and release of energy.88S10285C3North_CarolinaScience6.03 Compare life functions of protists: • Euglena.88S10285C6North_CarolinaScience6.04 Conclude that animal cells carry on complex chemical processes to balance the needs of the organism.• Cells grow and divide to produce more cells.88United StatesCopyright 2012 - Engineering K-Ph.D. Program, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke Universityhttp://www.teachengineering.org/policy_ipp.phphttp://www.teachengineering.org/2008-09-267Teacher