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Sam and carol tried a second experiment. carol and sam took a package of yeast and poured it into some warm water. yeast is used when baking bread to help the bread to rise. after an hour, they noticed that the yeast solution was bubbling. they used a dropper to make a microscope slide of some of the liquid containing the yeast. this is what they saw. carol said that she thought yeast was a living thing. sam thought she was wrong. what do you think? explain according to cell theory. yeast is not alive. it does not move. yeast is alive, because it is made of single cells. yeast is alive, because it is producing gas bubbles. yeast is alive. it is cellular, and it is making new cells.

User Caity
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Final answer:

Yes, yeast is alive because it is made up of single cells that perform metabolic processes, such as alcoholic fermentation, leading to the production of carbon dioxide and ethanol. This activity is evidence of yeast's cellular life, which aligns with cell theory, and its role in fermentation further demonstrates its vitality.

Step-by-step explanation:

Yeast is indeed a living thing, and this can be understood by aligning with the cell theory and examining yeast's biological processes. According to cell theory, all living things are made up of cells, and yeast consists of single-celled organisms. Moreover, yeast performs a process known as alcoholic fermentation, specifically when oxygen is not present. During this process, yeast cells convert sugars into carbon dioxide and ethanol, a clear indication of metabolic activity, which is a trait of living organisms.

When you observe the activity of yeast in bread making, the release of carbon dioxide gas is what causes bread to rise due to the formation of gas bubbles within the dough. This not only demonstrates that yeast is alive, but also that it is actively metabolizing and reproducing. The fact that yeast is used in fermentation, a controlled biological process, is additional evidence of its viability and critical role in both the food industry and scientific research.

It is also noteworthy that yeasts are used as a model organism in biology due to their eukaryotic nature, sharing many structural similarities with human cells, and contributing to insights into molecular biology and genetics.

User Milad Qasemi
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3 votes

Final answer:

Yes, yeast is alive because it is made up of single cells that perform metabolic processes, such as alcoholic fermentation, leading to the production of carbon dioxide and ethanol. This activity is evidence of yeast's cellular life, which aligns with cell theory, and its role in fermentation further demonstrates its vitality.

Step-by-step explanation:

Yeast is indeed a living thing, and this can be understood by aligning with the cell theory and examining yeast's biological processes. According to cell theory, all living things are made up of cells, and yeast consists of single-celled organisms. Moreover, yeast performs a process known as alcoholic fermentation, specifically when oxygen is not present. During this process, yeast cells convert sugars into carbon dioxide and ethanol, a clear indication of metabolic activity, which is a trait of living organisms.

When you observe the activity of yeast in bread making, the release of carbon dioxide gas is what causes bread to rise due to the formation of gas bubbles within the dough. This not only demonstrates that yeast is alive, but also that it is actively metabolizing and reproducing. The fact that yeast is used in fermentation, a controlled biological process, is additional evidence of its viability and critical role in both the food industry and scientific research.

It is also noteworthy that yeasts are used as a model organism in biology due to their eukaryotic nature, sharing many structural similarities with human cells, and contributing to insights into molecular biology and genetics.

User Thomaz Capra
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