Making use of enzymes

• Washing powders• Food industry• Germination of seeds• Antibiotic penicillin

Washing powder

Biological washing powders

• Contain: - lipase: greasy stains - protease: eggs, blood

• Advantage: they work at lower temperatures, so less water heating is needed, and clothes don´t shrink.

Food industry

• Fruit juices: are extracted using pectinase. It breaks down pectin and is much easier to squeeze juice from the fruit. It also makes the juice clear rather than cloudy.

• Biscuits: - isomerase: converts glucose to fructose, which is sweeter so less needs to be used in slimmers biscuits.

- protease: softens glutens, making the roller of biscuits easier

Germination of seeds

• Amylase is found in seeds.• When the seed begins to germinate, it

catalyses the break down of insoluble starch to soluble maltose.

• The maltose is used by the growing embryo : -as an energy source

- to make cellulose for new cell walls.

We obtain many enzymes from microorganisms

• Bacteria• Microscopic fungi, such as yeast.• They are grown inside fermenters.• Conditions needed to grow and reproduce:?

The fungus penicillium makes penicillin

• The antibiotic penicillin is made by cultivating the fungus in a fermenter.

• The fermenter is kept at the correct ph and temperature for the enzymes of the fungus to work well. What else do they need to grow?

• Its enzymes convert a substrate to a desired product. Which one?

• First 15-24 hs. The fungus just grow.• Then, it begins to secrete penicillin, which is

collected from the liquid part of the culture.