What are the fermentation byproducts in MacConkey agar?

[quarkstar]

of course, different things grow there. so i'd expect perhaps (and thank you) some several answers depending-on.

is 'fermentation' very speciically carbon dioxide, water, and ethanol? i wouldn't think it's being used that exactly. what other compounds get made by what-that people grow in there? I suppose this is just with lactose.

 

[Fra]

Fermentation in general refers to non-aerobic oxidation of sugar.

First step, once its broken down to simple sugars, is the same: glycolysis that ends up with puruvate.

After then on, the fate depends on available enzymes and oxygen supply, main options are
- In brewing yeast cells you get ethanol during fermentation
- But other cells and bacteria produce lactic acid during fermentation

But not all organisms have the required lactaze enzyme to utilize lactose, so some get stumped before glycolysis unless external enzymes are added.

/Fredrik