Microbial Fermentation

This lecture covers the process of fermentation in microorganisms, comparing it with respiration. It explains how fermentation occurs in the absence of an electron transport chain, focusing on substrate-level phosphorylation. The diversity of fermentation pathways and the production of various products like lactate, ethanol, acetate, and butyrate are discussed. Specific types of fermentation, such as homolactic and heterolactic acid fermentation, are detailed, along with the production of acetate, H2, butyrate, acetone, and butanol from pyruvate. The lecture also delves into the mechanisms of butyrate fermentation and acetone/butanol fermentation, highlighting the energy production processes involved.