Question

Is Yeast an Enzyme?

Answer 1

The biochemical reactions occurring inside the body are catalysed by means of globular proteins called enzymes. They only act by using the catalysing action of the chemical response and do not endure any changes themselves. A precise reaction and substrate have a unique enzyme.

Complete answer:
Yeast is a fungus (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) however enzymes can be extracted from it. It is a unicellular eukaryotic organism which finds wide application in food and beverage industries.

Enzymes produced by yeast:
- Yeast produces maltase which breaks maltose to glucose.
- Yeast acts on simple sugars to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide through the process of alcoholic fermentation. This process takes place under anaerobic conditions.
- Yeast cells secretes invertase which breaks down disaccharide to glucose and fructose.
- Other enzymes secreted by yeast are acid phosphatases, phospholipases.

Additional Information: Eduard Buchner carried out a collection of experiments on yeast extracts at the University of Berlin. He observed that the yeast extracts had been in a position to ferment sugar even with the absence of living yeast cells in the mixture. He named the enzyme “zymase" which used to be responsible for the sucrose fermentation.

Note: Maltase and invertase are secreted significantly. Other enzymes are secreted in traces. Yeast is widely used in the bread and baking industry as it makes the dough soft. This is due to the fermentation of the sugars present in the dough. This releases carbon dioxide which makes the dough soft. Maltase and invertase are used widely in the wine and other beverage industry. Honey bees use invertase to produce honey.