Discuss the role of yeasts in bakeries and breweries.

During the baking process, yeast added to the dough ferments sugar and produces carbon dioxide. This causes the dough to rise and when it is baked, the gas bubbles expand causing the bread to be spongy and light. Hence yeast is used in bakeries.

The greatest importance of yeast to us is through their property of alcoholic fermentation. Fermentation is the process in which the micro-organisms like yeast break down the carbohydrates into simpler products like ethanol and lactic acid. This alcohol is of great commercial importance. Hence, yeast is used in breweries to produce beer and wine from barley maltose and grapes, respectively.