6. Uses of Enzymes in Industry Flashcards
Revision
What are Enzymes
Biological catalysts made by all living cells. Made of Protein. “A catalyst is something that speeds up a chemical reaction without being changed itself”.
Give an example of an every day use of an enzyme
Enzymes are found in biological washing powders
State the main difference between biological and non-biological washing powder?
Biological detergents contain enzymes, which are good at breaking down dirt and food stains. This make it easier to remove deep stains from fabric.
Non-bio detergents don’t use enzymes.
Describe why we use different enzymes in washing powder
Different enzymes are added to digest different stains. For example, fat digesting enzymes are added to digest fatty stains and starch digesting enzymes are added to digest starchy stains.
Why do biological washing powders get used at low temperatures?
Biological detergents work best at lower temperatures e.g. 30-40°C. Anything hotter can DENATURE enzymes, causing it to work less effectively or not at alll
Remember when an enzyme is denatured, the enzyme active site changes sha
What is an disadvantages of biological washing powders?
- Some people are allergic to the enzymes in biological powder (rash and eczema)
- Manufacturers enclose the enzymes in granules with a harmless coating of wax to make them kinder to skin.
- Despite this some people are still allergic and have to non-biological powders.
Why would a packet of biological washing powder give instructions to wash your hands if it touches your skin?
To protect the skin on hands as many people are allergic to the enzymes in washing powder.
What are the advanatages of biological washing powder?
- Tougher at removing food, plant and grease stains.
- Works at lower temperatures, so saves energy costs
- Works at lower temperatures, so less damagiing to clothes
A pupil carried out a test to compare how good a biological and a non-biological detergent were at getting rid of gravy stains. She stained two pieces of cloth and put them in tubes of detergent for 30
minutes, as shown..
Give three ways in which the experiment must be altered to make it a fair test.
- Same volume of biological detergent as non-biological detergent
- Same volume of stain on each cloth
- Same size of cloth
A pupil carried out a test to compare how good a biological and a non-biological detergent were at getting rid of gravy stains. She stained two pieces of cloth and put them in tubes of detergent for 30
minutes, as shown..
Suggest a suitable temperature to set the waterbath at
Between 30-40oC as this is the temperature enzymes work best at (37oC is the optimum temperature for most enzymes).
The pupil re-designed the experiment below to make it a fair test. She found that the biological detergent was better at removing- the stain than the non-biological detergent. What could the pupil do to be sure that what she found out is correct?
Repeating the experiment to ensure for reliable results.
Remember the 3 R’s = Repeat for Reliable Results
The line graph below shows how effective a certain washing powders is at cleaning clothes at different temperatures.
What temperature is the washing powder most effective at?
30oC
The line graph below shows how effective a certain washing powders is at cleaning clothes at different temperatures.
Above what temperature does this powder no longer work?
60oC
These enzymes are called proteases
Why do contact lens cleaners contain enzymes?
Lens cleaning kits include enzymes called proteases to digest proteins (dead skin cells and cellular material which coats the lenses) this prevents eye infections.
How are enzymes used in the cheese industry?
In cheese making, enzymes (rennin) help to separate the solid curds from the watery whey, giving cheesemakers the raw ingredients they need to create a brick of cheese. Without the enzyme rennin in cheese it would just be a big bowl of milk.
Where do we get the enzyme rennin which is used in cheesed making?
Rennin is an enzyme that is found naturally in the stomach of calves (or any mammal which drinks milk from its mother).
Nowadays most rennin is manufactured by bacteria.
