Crabtree effect

noun

The phenomenon whereby the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, produces ethanol in aerobic conditions at high external glucose concentrations rather than aerobically producing biomass via the tricarboxylic acid cycle as it's common in most yeasts.

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Meanings

nounCrabtree effect (plural Crabtree effects)

plural Crabtree effects

  1. biochemistryThe phenomenon whereby the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, produces ethanol in aerobic conditions at high external glucose concentrations rather than aerobically producing biomass via the tricarboxylic acid cycle as it's common in most yeasts.

Origin

Named after biologist Herbert Grace Crabtree, whose study of the carbohydrate metabolism of tumours led the discovery of the effect.

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Cite this entry
APA

Crabtree effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Crabtree%20effect

MLA

“Crabtree effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Crabtree%20effect. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Crabtree effect,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Crabtree%20effect.

Source: Crabtree effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.