If bacteria produce ethanol through fermentation, and ethanol can kill bacteria, why are they not killing themselves with their own ethanol?

Question

If bacteria produce ethanol through fermentation, and ethanol can kill bacteria, why are they not killing themselves with their own ethanol?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Yeast produces alcohol, but it’s also pretty good at surviving in alcohol (to a point). Other microorganisms aren’t. This kills off everything that isn’t yeast.

Lactobacillus, the bacteria used in sauerkraut and other fun fermenter foods, produces acid. They’re pretty good at surviving in acid, while other microorganisms aren’t.

I think you can see the general strategy here: there’s food, so let’s change the environment so that only my species can eat it!

At least, that’s one theory in the topic.