Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Uses of Enzymes
- Biological
Detergents
- They're mainly
protein- digesting
enzymes (Proteases)
and fat-digesting
enzymes (lipases)
- Because the
enzymes break down
animal and plant
matter, they are ideal
for removing stains
like food or blood.
- Biological detergents
are also more
effective at working at
low temperatures
(e.g. 30 degrees c)
than other types of
detergents.
- Enzymes are
used to change
foods
- Carbohydrases is
used to convert
starch syrup, which
is quite cheap, into
sugar syrup, which
is more valuable.
For example as a
ingredient in sports
drinks
- Isomerase is used to convert
glucose syrups into fructose
syrups. Fructose is sweeter that
glucose, so can be used in
smaller amounts, for example
slimming foods and drinks.
- Protease is
used to
pre-digest
proteins during
the
manufacturing of
baby food
- Advantages of
Enzymes in Industry
- They're
specific, so they
only catalyse
the reaction you
want them to
- Using lower
temperatures and
pressures means
lower costs as it
saves engery
- Enzymes work for a long
time, so after the initial cost
of buying them, you can
continually use them
- They are
biodegradable
and therefore
cause less
environmental
pollution
- Disadvantages of
using Enzymes in
industry
- Some
people can
develop
allergies to
the enzymes
(e.g.
biological
washing
powder)
- Enzymes can be
denatured by even a
small increase in
temperature. They're
also susceptible to
poison and changes in
pH. This means the
conditions in which
they work must be
tightly controlled
- Enzymes can
be expensive to
produce
- Contamination of the
enzyme with other
substances can
affect the reaction