Question

How does pH affect fermentation?

Answer 1

pH affects fermentation:

1. Protein shape is influenced by pH.
2. The metabolic activities that occur during fermentation are controlled by a group of enzymes.
3. Sucrase, for example, is an enzyme that breaks down sucrose into fructose and glucose.
4. They work in a similar way as organic catalysts.
5. Because of the R group on the amino acids, they can either be acidic or basic amino acids.
6. The structure of proteins is affected when the pH is raised because the protein's bonds are disrupted.
7. When it comes to fermentation, the rate increases as the solution becomes more acidic - as the pH drops.
8. This is because the organisms that produce the enzymes that allow glucose to be fermented, yeast, have adapted to acidic environments.
9. This indicates that enzymes have evolved over time as a result of natural selection to act best in acidic conditions, which bend the protein into the proper shape for fermentation.