Feermentation: The Process And Misconceptions Of Fermentation

Fermentation has been used by mankind for centuries to make useful products such as cheese, breads, yogurts and alcohol beverages. During fermentation, some strains of yeast decompose sugars to derive energy, and in the process they produce ethanol as a waste product. When bread dough is being made, yeast is added to make dough rise. This occurs because the yeast ferments sugar releasing carbon dioxide which causes the dough to rise and creates holes in the bread. This carbon dioxide released gives a boiling appearance when yeast acts on extracts of fruits or malted grains thus giving the process name fermentation (Thiemann, 2009, Whittaker et al. 1999)
Definition: Fermentation has been defined in different ways:
• Biochemist’s Definition:
“Oxidative or reductive process in which microorganisms grow on a certain substance (or carbon source) and convert it into some sort of useful product using particular enzymes which may be a primary or …show more content…
 large products are not only broken down but are also formed.
 Fermentation not only takes place in anaerobic conditions but also occurs in aerobic conditions.
 Not all fermentation processes produce alcohol and emit CO2.
Types of Fermentation: There are different types of fermentation processes depending on the method used like Batch Fed Batch and Continuous Fermentation or on the state of medium used like Submerged,Liquid and Solid State Fermentation or on the basis of product like Alcoholic and Lactic acid Fermentation.

Range of Fermentation Processes
There is a wide range of fermentation processes. For convenience commercial fermentation products have been classified into five major groups. This classification is based on the basis of the product formed as a result.

Production of Microbial Cells or