Here we study the role of functional groups from waste brewery yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells in the bioadsorption of Cd(2+), Zn(2+) and Cu(2+) ions. In order to clarify the role of these functional groups, the brewery yeast was pretreated chemically, thereby helping to determine the mechanisms responsible for binding the target metals. SEM studies were performed to examine the surface microstructure of the adsorbent in pure as well as pretreated forms. The biomass was characterized using FTIR analysis, which indicated that hydroxyl, carboxyl and amid groups are present on the biomass surface. When carboxyl groups were modified by various chemical treatments, the adsorption capacity decreased dramatically, showing that carboxyl groups play a fundamental role in the bioadsorption process. The residual metallic ion concentrations were determined using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). Pseudo-first and second-order kinetic models were used to describe the bioadsorption process.