Cellular Metabolism in Yeast essays

Cellular Metabolism in Yeast essays The yeast Saccromyces cerevisae was placed in two different sets of test tubes along with glucose and MgSO4 or NaF to test the effects of the MgSO4 and NaF on yeast cellular metabolism. A third set of test tubes was used as a control. The results show that there is not a significant difference between any of the three groups, but an experimental error may have caused these findings. Yeasts are unicellular members of the Kingdom Fungi that can ferment sugar and produce ethanol. This particular experiment deals with Saccharomyces cerevisttae, a type of yeast that reproduces asexually by budding (Stanford). Yeast survives on oxygen, so it is an aerobe. It also has the amazing ability of adapting to oxygen-less environments and surviving as an anaerobe (Cofalec). Metabolism is the biochemical assimilation and dissimilation of nutrients by a cell (Munich). Redox reactions form new cellular material and generate energy. The different reactions can be divided into anabolism and catabolism (Gamboa). Using the necessary equipment, yeast can be metabolized and studied in the laboratory. This experiment deals with the effects of MgSO4 and NaF on anaerobic respiration in Saccharomyces cerevisttae. We hypothesize that we will obtain statistically significant differences in our experimental groups when we compare them to the control. We obtained and carefully cleaned nine test tubes, placed them into a test tube rack, then poured 8 ml of 1.0 M glucose into each of them. In the three control test tubes, we added 8 ml deionized water. After that, we shook and added 8 ml of a yeast suspension into all test tubes. Using a fume hood, we added 8 ml 0.01M MgSO4 to three test tubes that did not have the deionized water in them. 8 ml of 0.1M NaF were added to the final three test tubes. We placed inverted vials over each test tube then inverted each system. Using a grease pencil, we marked the fluid's meniscus on each tube th ...