Biomass yield (source code)

= Biomass yield
{title2=$Y=\text{biomass produced}/\text{nutrient consumed}$}

The <biomass yield> $Y$ converts nutrient consumption into biomass production: consuming nutrient mass $m$ produces dry biomass mass $Ym$ under the assumed constant conversion. For $Y=0.5\,\mathrm{g}\text{ biomass}/(\mathrm{g}\text{ nutrient})$, consumption of $8\,\mathrm{g}$ of nutrient produces $4\,\mathrm{g}$ of dry biomass. Its numerical value depends on the measurement conventions; it is not a fraction of all feed mass converted into cells. With no separate maintenance consumption, biomass production $\mu(s)x$ requires nutrient consumption $\mu(s)x/Y$ in the <chemostat> balance.