3.5 Making Use of Enzymes

Question 1

Name an disadvantage of using microorganisms enzymes

Answer 1

Very expensive to produce

Question 2

What enzymes do biological detergents use to digest food stains?

Answer 2

Protease and lipase

Question 3

Why are biological detergents good the environment?

Answer 3

They are used at a lower temp than it already washing powder which saves energy and money on electricity

Question 4

What enzymes are used to predigest some baby foods?

Answer 4

Protease for proteins

Question 5

Which enzyme is used to convert glucose into fructose syrup?

Answer 5

Isomerase

Question 6

What are the benefits of using fructose instead of glucose?

Answer 6

Fructose is much sweeter so less is needed in foods therefore the foods are not as fattening

Question 7

What enzymes are used to convert starch into sugar syrups for use in foods?

Answer 7

Carbohydrases

Question 8

How are enzymes used in industry?

Answer 8

They bring about reactions at a normal temp or pressure

Question 9

What is the benefit of using enzymes in industry?

Answer 9

They don’t require expensive equipment and a lot of energy to produce high temps and pressures

Question 10

Why are enzymes in biological washing powders cased in little tiny capsules?

Answer 10

Many factory staff developed allergies triggered by proteins in the enzyme dust in the air

Question 11

Despite the bad publicity, what did the enzyme allergy case prove?

Answer 11

That biological detergents don’t seem to be a major cause of skin problems

Question 12

Why do some people worry about the waste water of the washing machines (carrying enzymes) going into the sea?

Answer 12

The enzymes will start to catalyse reactions in the sea water that we don’t want to happen

Question 13

Why might biological detergents not be good at killing pathogens on clothes?

Answer 13

They have to be used at low temps so the pathogens might not be killed in the wash

Question 14

Name a use of enzymes in diagnosis.

Answer 14

Checking for liver faults or damages

Question 15

How do doctors use enzymes to diagnose liver damages?

Answer 15

Liver enzymes may leak into your bloodstream so the doctors test blood for liver enzymes

Question 16

How are enzymes used to test people for diabetes?

Answer 16

Use a chemical indicator to check for enzymes in urine (there would be a colour change in the presence of glucose)

Question 17

Why do diabetics have glucose in their urine?

Answer 17

They have too much glucose in their blood so need to release some

Question 18

How can enzymes be used to help a damaged pancreas?

Answer 18

If the pancreas is damaged it cannot make enzymes so you take extra enzymes, particular lipase, to digest food. Enzymes are in capsules so they don’t dissolve in the stomach

Question 19

How can enzymes help you if you have a heart attack?

Answer 19

An enzyme called streptokinase is injected into your blood to dissolve clots in arteries of the heart wall and reduce damage to the heart

Question 20

How can enzymes kill blood cancer cells?

Answer 20

The blood cancer cells need only one type of amino acid from your body fluids to survive. The enzymes speed up the breakdown of that one amino acid so therefore the cancer cell cannot get any of that amino acid and it will die. But normal cells make the amino acids as well so they aren’t affected

Question 21

Name another test to see if the liver is working properly.

Answer 21

The hydrogen peroxide test

Question 22

What is the hydrogen peroxide test?

Answer 22

Placing Apple liver potato and Tuna into 15ml of hydrogen peroxide we can see that the enzymes in the liver have more suitable enzymes for digesting the hydrogen peroxide than the potato because the liver is frothing more so it is working faster

Question 23

Why do protease need a lower pH in the stomach?

Answer 23

The bacteria killed by the low pH in the stomach makes the protease a better

Question 24

What is the stomach mucus lining for?

Answer 24

To stop the stomach dissolving

Question 25

What does bile do to fats?

Answer 25

Emulsified them so they don’t go into the bloodstream

Question 26

Name an advantage of using microorganisms enzymes

Answer 26

Have many uses in industry