What Do Bread and Beer Have in Common?
Magnified yeast cells.Copyright http://www.esm.ucsb.edu/facilities/MEIAF/images.html
Students learn that yeasts, a type of fungi, 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.