21. Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Flashcards
How can microorganisms be used by humans?
Microorganisms can be used by humans to produce foods and other useful substances
What is the most common type of microorganism which is used in biotechnology?
The most common type of microorganisms used in biotechnology are bacteria
Why are bacteria commonly used in biotechnology?
They are useful because they are capable of producing complex molecules
They are also useful because they reproduce rapidly, meaning the amount of chemicals they can produce can also rapidly increase
What is an example of a complex molecule that bacteria can create?
eg certain bacteria added to milk produce enzymes that turn the milk into yoghurt
What is yeast and what does it use as its food source?
Yeast is a single celled fungus that uses sugar as its food source
What is produced when yeast respires?
When it respires, ethanol and carbon dioxide are produced (and energy is released)
- What is the ethanol from the respiration of yeast used for?
(biofuels)
The ethanol produced in this reaction is increasingly being used as a biofuel (a fuel made from living organisms rather than a fossil fuel like oil, coal or gas)
- What is used as the substrate to create biofuels?(biofuels)
Plant material is used as the substrate for producing ethanol (as a source of glucose)
- What is done with the plant material?
biofuels
it is chopped up into small pieces and mixed with yeast which respires anaerobically and produces ethanol
- What is done with the liquid produced by this reaction?
biofuels
The liquid is separated from the remaining solids and any water is removed, leaving a concentrated solution of ethanol
- What is sometimes done with the waste parts?
biofuels
Sometimes the waste parts of crop plants, such as the stalks or outer leaves, are used, but in other places, crops are grown specifically to be harvested for making ethanol
- What concerns are there relating to biofuels?
In some places, this is causing concern that there is less land available for local people to grow food crops needed for survival
- In what way can yeast respire if it has access to lots of sugar?
(bread making)
Yeast will respire anaerobically if it has access to plenty of sugar, even if oxygen is available
- How does yeast respiring anaerobically help bread making?
bread making
the yeast is mixed with flour and water and respires anaerobically, producing carbon dioxide
- What product of this reaction will help in bread making?
bread making
The carbon dioxide produced by the yeast during respiration is caught in the dough, causing the bread to rise
- What is the chemical equation for the anaerobic respiration of yeast?
C6H12O6 –> 2C2H5OH + 2CO2
- How is fruit juice produced?
fruit juice production
Fruit juice is produced by squeezing the fruits to remove the juice
- Why is this method (squeezing fruits) not effective?
fruit juice production
Chopping the fruit up before squeezing helps to release a lot more juice, but this does not break open all the cells so a lot of juice is lost
- What enzyme can be used to help in fruit juice production?
(fruit juice production)
By adding an enzyme called pectinase to the chopped up fruit, more juice is released
- How does Pectinase help?
fruit juice production
Pectinase works by breaking down a chemical called pectin that is found inside plant cell walls
- What does pectin do?
fruit juice production
Once pectin is broken down, the cell walls break more easily and more juice can be squeezed out of the fruit
- Apart from producing more juice, what quality of the juice does Pectinase change? How?
(fruit juice production)
Adding pectinase to fruits also helps to produce a clearer juice as larger polysaccharides like pectin can make the juice seem cloudy – once they are broken down into smaller molecules, the juice becomes clearer
- What are many of the stains on clothes made from?
biological washing powders
Many stains on clothes are organic molecules – oil from skin, protein from blood, fat and protein from food
- Why are detergents that only contain soap not so effective at removing stains?
(biological washing powders)
Detergents that only contain soap can remove some of these stains when mixed with hot water, but it can take a lot of time and effort and very high temperatures to remove the stains entirely
- What type of washing powders are better and what do they contain?
(biological washing powders)
Biological washing powders contain enzymes similar to the digestive enzymes produced in the alimentary canal that help to break down large food molecules
- What are 3 advantages of using biological washing powders?
(biological washing powders)
quickly breaking down large insoluble molecules
effective at lower temperatures
can be used to clean delicate fabrics
- How do biological washing powders help to quickly break down large insoluble molecules?
(biological washing powders)
Quickly breaking down large, insoluble molecules such as fats and proteins into smaller, soluble ones that will dissolve in washing water
- How is it beneficial that biological washing powders are effective at lower temperatures?
(biological washing powders)
They are effective at lower temperatures, meaning less energy (and money) has to be used in order to wash clothes to get them clean as washing water does not need to be heated to higher temperatures
- How is it beneficial that biological washing powders can be used to clean delicate fabrics?
(biological washing powders)
They can be used to clean delicate fabrics that would not be suitable for washing at high temperatures
- Where is lactose found?
lactose-free milk
Lactose is the sugar found in milk
- What enzymes do humans produce that is related to lactose?
(lactose-free milk)
Human babies are born with the ability to produce lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose
- What does it mean if someone is lactose intolerant?
lactose-free milk
In certain areas of the world, many people lose the ability to produce lactase as they get older
This means that they can become lactose intolerant and react badly to the lactose in milk and products made from milk (cheese, yoghurt etc)
- What are symptoms of lactose intolerance?
lactose-free milk
nausea, flatulence and diarrhoea as their digestive system is upset by the lactose
- How can milk be made lactose free?
lactose-free milk
Milk can be made lactose free by adding the enzyme lactase to it and leaving it to stand for a while to allow the enzyme to break down the lactose
- What was the name of the first antibiotic and who discovered it?
Penicillin was the first antibiotic discovered in 1928 by Alexander Fleming
- How was penicillin discovered?
He noticed that some bacteria he had left in a Petri dish had been killed by the naturally occurring Penicillium mould
- How does penicillin mould help in destroying bacteria?
The penicillium mould produces a chemical to prevent it being infected by certain types of bacteria
- How does penicillin kill bacteria?
it interferes with the building of the bacterial cell wall
- the cell wall of the bacteria ruptures and dies when it tries to grow
- How can penicillin be produced on a large scale?
Since the discovery of penicillin, methods have been developed to produce it on a large scale, using an industrial fermenter
- What are fermenters?
Fermenters are containers used to grow (‘culture’) microorganisms like bacteria and fungi in large amounts
- For what purposes can fermenters be used?
These can then be used for many biotechnological processes like producing genetically modified bacteria and the penicillium mould that produces penicillin
- What are the advantages of using a fermenter?
The advantage of using a fermenter is that conditions can be carefully controlled to produce large quantities of exactly the right type of microorganism
- What 6 conditions need to be controlled in a fermenter?
aseptic precautions
nutrients
optimum temperature
optimum pH
oxygenation
agitation
- How and why are aseptic precautions controlled in a fermenter?
fermenter is cleansed by steam to kill microorganisms and prevent chemical contamination, which ensures only the desired microorganisms will grow
- How and why are nutrients controlled in a fermenter?
nutrients are needed for use in respiration to release energy for growth and to ensure the microorganisms are able to reproduce
- How and why is optimum temperature controlled in a fermenter?
temperature I monitored using probes and maintained using the water jacket to ensure an optimum environment for enzymes to increase enzyme activity (enzymes will denature if the temperature is too high or work too slowly if it is too low)
- How and is oxygenation controlled in a fermenter?
oxygen is needed for aerobic respiration to take place
- How and why is optimum pH controlled in a fermenter?
Ph inside the fermenter is monitored using a probe to check it is at the optimum value for the particular microorganism being grown. The ph can be adjusted, if necessary, using acids or alkalis
- How and why is agitation controlled in a fermenter?
stirring paddles ensure that microorganisms, nutrients, oxygen, temperature and ph are evenly distributed throughout the fermenter
In what processes can biotechnology be used?
to make biofuels
bread making
fruit juice production
biological washing powders
lactose-free milk
penicillin production