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Article: Fermentation
- Article from:
- World of Microbiology and Immunology
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Fermentation
In its broadest sense, fermentation refers to any process by which large organic molecules are broken down to simpler molecules as the result of the action of
microorganisms
. The most familiar type of fermentation is the conversion of sugars and starches to alcohol by
enzymes
in
yeast
. To distinguish this reaction from other kinds of fermentation, the process is sometimes known as alcoholic or ethanolic fermentation.
Ethanolic fermentation was one of the first chemical reactions observed by humans. In nature, various types of spoil decompose because of bacterial action. Early in history, humans discovered that this kind of change could result in the formation of ...