Anaerobic Fermentation
Anaerobic Fermentation - Related Videos
01:29
Fermentation
0 Views •
2019
Most eukaryotic organisms require oxygen to survive and function adequately. Such organisms produce large amounts of energy during aerobic respiration by metabolizing glucose and oxygen into carbon dioxide and water. However, most eukaryotes can generate some energy in the absence of oxygen by anaerobic metabolism. Fermentation is a type of metabolic process that occurs in the absence of oxygen, where organic molecules such as glucose are broken down to produce energy. During this process, the...
01:27
Anaerobic Digestion of Bioplastics for Biogas Production
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2025
Begin with an anaerobic digester, a sealed, oxygen-free reactor seeded with a synthetic sludge that mimics the settled solids from wastewater.The sludge contains mesophilic anaerobic microbes, a mixed microbial community.These microbes thrive at moderate temperatures and drive the digestion of the sludge’s organic matter.Continuously mix the sludge to sustain the bacterial activity and promote digestion.Later, add bioplastics, which are biodegradable polymers, into the sludge.During incubation,...
09:35
Enrichment Cultures: Culturing Aerobic and Anaerobic Microbes on Selective and Differential Medias
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2023
Source: Christopher P. Corbo1, Jonathan F. Blaize1, Elizabeth Suter1 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College, 1 Campus Road, Staten Island NY, 10301 Prokaryotic cells are able to inhabit nearly every environment on this planet. As a kingdom, they possess a great metabolic diversity, allowing them to use a wide variety of molecules for energy generation (1). Therefore, when cultivating these organisms in the lab, all necessary and specific molecules required to make energy must be...
02:12
In Vitro Batch-Culture Model to Mimic Colonic Fermentation by Human Gut Microbiota
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2025
Source: Ahmadi, S., et al. An In Vitro Batch-culture Model to Estimate the Effects of Interventional Regimens on Human Fecal Microbiota. J. Vis. Exp. (2019).This video demonstrates a method for modeling gut microbial fermentation by incubating fecal samples with dietary fermentable fiber under anaerobic conditions to study metabolite production by gut microbiota.
11:13
Culturing and Maintaining Clostridium difficile in an Anaerobic Environment
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Cited by 100 •
2013
Clostridium difficile is a pathogenic bacterium that is a strict anaerobe and causes antibiotic associated diarrhea (AAD). Here, methods for isolating, culturing and maintaining C. difficile vegetative cells and spores are described. These techniques necessitate an anaerobic chamber, which requires regular maintenance to ensure proper conditions for optimal C. difficile cultivation.
FAQs
NAD+ regeneration keeps glycolysis operating when oxygen is absent or limited. Glycolysis converts glucose to pyruvate while producing a small amount of ATP and reducing NAD+; fermentation then transfers electrons to pyruvate or related compounds, restoring NAD+. Without this regeneration step, glycolysis could not continue providing its limited ATP under oxygen-poor conditions.
The organism’s enzymes direct pyruvate or its derivatives toward particular end products. Depending on the enzymes involved, metabolism can produce lactate, ethanol, carbon dioxide, organic acids, or other metabolites. Consequently, product patterns reflect the biochemical pathway available in the organism and can distinguish different fermentation outcomes.
Anaerobic fermentation becomes important when oxygen is absent or limited because cells cannot rely on oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor in the described pathway. Under those conditions, internal electron transfer to pyruvate or its derivatives regenerates NAD+, allowing glycolysis to continue. Oxygen availability therefore influences which energy-supporting route remains functional.
The pathway begins with glycolysis, during which glucose is converted to pyruvate and a small amount of ATP is generated. A subsequent fermentation step reduces pyruvate or a related metabolite and regenerates NAD+. The overall sequence links carbon breakdown with electron transfer, enabling continued glycolytic activity in oxygen-poor conditions.
Researchers examine this process when investigating microbial growth in oxygen-poor environments or the way cells maintain energy metabolism without oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor. It also provides a framework for studying how organisms produce lactate, ethanol, organic acids, carbon dioxide, and other metabolites under oxygen-limited conditions.
Anaerobic fermentation supports food production, biofuel generation, and industrial biotechnology because organisms can convert organic molecules into useful metabolites without relying on oxygen in the pathway described. The specific products depend on the organism and its enzymes, allowing biological systems to yield compounds such as ethanol, organic acids, or other fermentation products.