Nutrition
Saccharomyces cerevisiae's source for food is fruit, although it is found on animals as well, to learn more check out habitats. Saccharomyces cerevisiae absorbs nutrients through the cell and breaks down nutrients via the mitochondria. It has adapted to do this with and without the presence of oxygen. With oxygen it is an aerobic process which is expressed with the equation bellow. Bread is made this way--the release of CO2 allows the bread to rise. This is also the more common form of respiration found in nature.
Aerobic Respiration:
When oxygen is not present it is an anaerobic process, which is expressed by the equation bellow. Anaerobic respiration is what gives alcoholic beverages their alcohol. Bread can also reproduce some alcohols, but the alcohols are burnt off in the cooking process so we aren't affected the same way as alcoholic beverages affect us.
Anaerobic Respiration:
Since Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a single celled fungus and is very small, it does not require complex transporting mechanisms like plants, multicellular fungi, and animals. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a eukaryotic cell, so like most eukaryotes it contains mitochondria, which is how it converts sugars into energy.
Continue reading about its reproduction or return to homepage.