In the previous article, fermentation was briefly discussed. This article focuses on one of the two types of fermentation which is Lactic Acid Fermentation.

This process uses NADH, which is oxidized to NAD⁺, to reduce the pyruvic acid from glycolysis into lactic acid. It allows glycolysis to continue by assuring that NADH returned to its oxidez state. The animation below would help you to better understand the process of lactic acid fermention.

Lactate or lactic acid is produced from many bacteria, fungi, protist, or animal cells which undergoes the said process. The bacteria that make yogurt carry out lactic acid fermentation which is the same with red blood cells that do not undergo cellular respiration due to the absence of mitochondria. This is how cheese, yogurt, and soy sauce is made.

Soy Sauce Image taken from http://www.koreaforniancooking.com/kcook/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/soysauce.jpg

Muscle cells also carry out lactic acid fermentation, but not all the time. It only occurs when they have insufficient amount of oxygen for aerobic respiration to continue. An example is when you are exercising too hard. The lactic acid produce flows through the bloodstream to the liver so it could be converted back to pyruvate and for the continuation of cellular respiration.

On other other hand, alcoholic beverages also undergoes fermentation. This would be discussed in the next article,

Stay tuned!