Alcoholic fermentation is the process by which sugars like glucose are converted into ethanol and carbon dioxide. This complex biochemical pathway is carried out by microorganisms, typically yeast, and involves a series of enzymatic reactions. The collective enzymatic system responsible for the conversion of simple sugars (like glucose or fructose) to ethanol is historically known as zymase. Zymase is not a single enzyme but rather a complex of enzymes found in yeast cells, including enzymes from glycolysis and alcohol dehydrogenase.