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A2 biology > 6.2.1 biotechnology > Flashcards

6.2.1 biotechnology Flashcards

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1
Q

define biotechnology

A

the use of living organisms in the production of useful products like food and drugs or carrying out sewage disposal

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2
Q

define primary metabolite

A
  • any substance produced by a microorganism during its normal metabolism and growth
    bacteria and fungi
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3
Q

secondary metabolite

A

and substance produced by a microorganism once it has stopped growing

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4
Q

why are microorganisms ideal for use in biotech?

A
  • no welfare issues
  • easy to create optimum growth conditions
  • huge rage of diff species of microbes= can carry out lots of diff reactions
  • microbes easy to modify ( genetic engineering)
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5
Q

describe how yeast is used in baking

A
  • single felled fungus
  • respires anaerobic ally
  • releases CO2
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6
Q

describe how yeast is used in brewing

A
  • respires anaerobically
  • produces CO2 and ethanol
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7
Q

what does amylase do?

A
  • converts starch into maltose
  • yeast used this for resp to produce ethanol and CO2
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8
Q

why is milk pasteurized?

A

to remove pathogens

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9
Q

why does production of yogurt stop at pH 4.3?

A

low acidic pH which inhibits enzyme activity in bacteria
bacteria then die

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10
Q

advantages of using microorganisms to produce human food

A
  • reproduce fast
  • high protein content with little fat
  • can use waste materials = reduces cost
  • microorganisms can be genetically modified to produce protein required
  • no welfare issues
  • can be made to taste like anything
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11
Q

disadvantages of using microorganism to produce human food

A
  • produce toxins if conditions not optimum
  • more downstream processing
  • sterile / aseptic conditions = expensive
  • needs to be purified
  • little natural flavour
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12
Q

what does penicillin need to grow?

A
  • high conc of oxygen and nutrients
  • grown in small batches in small fermenters
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13
Q

why are small fermenters used to produce penicillin?

A

large fermenters are too hard to keep oxygenated

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14
Q

define batch fed

A

nutrients are added at regular intervals rather than just as start

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15
Q

state factors that need to be controlled inside the fermenter

A
  • well oxygenated so that aerobic conditions can be maintained
  • waste gases let out to reduce pressure
  • optimum temp and ph so enzymes don’t denature
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16
Q

why is penicillin a secondary metabolite?

A

it is produced after the fungus has stopped growing

17
Q

describe downstream processing

A
  • purifying product harvested from fermented before it is fit for human use
  • separating out useful products from contaminated
  • concentrate product
18
Q

importance of maintaining aseptic conditions

A
  • avoid unwanted microbes
  • no competition for nutrients
  • no decrease in yield
  • conditions remain unchanged
  • no contamination of batch
19
Q

why are fungi secondary metabolites?

A
  • once fungus has grown and established itself it is useful to produce antibiotics to inhibit growth of any nearby competing bacteria (which may compete for limited resources)
20
Q

what is bioremediation?

A

use of microorganisms to remove toxic substance / pollutants from the environment that could otherwise accumulate in food chains causing hard to living organisms

21
Q

2 ways bioremediation is used

A
  1. natural organisms used - break down organic matter to co2 and H2O
  2. GM organisms - GM bacteria break down/ accumulate contaminants
22
Q

what must a culture medium contain? (5 things)

A
  1. energy source (microbes use sugars for resp to make atp)
  2. carbon source ( make organic molecules)
  3. nitrogen source ( make a.a, proteins, DNA, RNA)
  4. mineral ions: vitamins (hormones)
  5. water (all reactions take place in aq solution and movement of molecules)
23
Q

what is turbidity?

A

how cloudy/thick/ viscous mixture is

24
Q

more turnout means what?

A

more growth causes more turbidity so mixture difficult to stir and difficult to evenly distribute nutrients and oxygen

25
Q

aseptic techniques

A
  1. disinfect surfaces
  2. light bunsen - hot air roses - microbes drawn away
  3. sterilize instruments used
26
Q

what does it mean by microbes are grown in a closed culture?

A

isolated from external environment, no extra nutrients added + no waste products removed

27
Q

what happens in the lag phase ?

A

-bacteria adapting to new environment
- synthesizing enzymes needd
- slow increase

28
Q

log phase

A

rate of bacteria produced increasing rapidly (theoretical max)

29
Q

stationary phase

A

growth rate = 0

30
Q

death stage

A

death rate exceeds reproduction rate

31
Q

describe why sugar concentration decreases as ethanol concentration increases

A
  1. the sugar is converted to ethanol in anaerobic resp
  2. sugar loses CO2
  3. as sugar conc decreases biomass increases
32
Q

batch fermentation

A
  • closed culture
  • individual batches
  • sterile nutrients
  • nothing added or removed
  • for secondary metabolites
  • forces microorganisms to enter stationary phase where growth stops
33
Q

continuous fermentation

A
  • sterile nutrients
  • as microbe grows keep on adding nutrients and removing product
  • primary metabolites
  • microbes kept in log stage so they fit. run out of nutrients and waste products don’t build up
  • continue with normal growth and metabolism
34
Q

generation time equation

A

generation time (G) = time (t) / number of generations (n)

35
Q

advantages of immobilized enzymes

A
  1. less downstream processing
  2. reusable - costs less
  3. greater temp tolerance - don’t denature at high temps
  4. works at changed pH
  5. continuous process - bioreactor kept running for long time- without emptying or cleaning - cheaper

A2 biology (15 decks)

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