Which organism is known to undergo alcoholic fermentation?

Yeast is the organism known to undergo alcoholic fermentation. This process occurs in the absence of oxygen (anaerobic conditions) and involves the conversion of sugars, such as glucose, into alcohol and carbon dioxide. In yeast, the key enzyme involved in this process is pyruvate decarboxylase, which helps convert pyruvate into ethanol and carbon dioxide.

Yeast is commonly utilized in various applications, such as baking, brewing beer, and fermenting wine, because it efficiently ferments sugars to produce alcohol and other byproducts. The carbon dioxide produced during fermentation is also crucial for the rising of bread dough.

In contrast, bacteria do not typically produce alcohol through fermentation; instead, they may produce a variety of other end products, including lactic acid or hydrogen gas, depending on the species and environmental conditions. Molds can have different metabolic pathways, and while some may participate in fermentation, they do not typically produce alcohol in significant amounts. Algae primarily perform photosynthesis and can be involved in different metabolic pathways but are not known for alcoholic fermentation like yeast.