ENZYMES

1. ENZYMES • In the Biology unit on Digestion, You’ve studied enzymes, and how they breakdown foods so that our bodies can absorb them. • This presentation will review enzymes and show how they are involved in: Biotechnology

2. A Digestive Enzyme: How does it work? This diagram explains how a digestive enzyme can break a food molecule into smaller molecules during digestion

3. Enzymes are Catalysts • Enzymes allow certain chemical reactions to occur much more easily by combining temporarily with particular molecules. (see diagram) • For example, A food molecule can break apart more easily while combined with a digestive enzyme,. (the food molecule is the substrate in this case) • Enzymes increase the efficiency of digestion. In fact digestion of food can’t occur without digestive enzymes. • Each food molecule can only be broken down by its special enzyme

4. What are Catalysts? • Catalysts are chemicals that cause certain chemical reactions to occur faster and at lower temperatures. • Catalysts can be reused after the reaction is over. Examples of catalysts: • Platinum: catalytic converters on autos etc. • Magnesium Dioxide: (breaks down peroxide used in bleaching fabrics) • Enzymes: (protein molecules that act as catalysts) Nearly all reactions that occur in living cells require enzymes. Without them, life would be impossible

5. Enzymes and Biotechnology • As well as controlling the chemical reactions in our bodies and in all other life, enzymes are now used for many other purposes. • Enzymes are used in “Biotechnology” Biotechnology is a big word with a simple meaning. • Biotechnology is technology based on biology, especially when used in agriculture, food science, and medicine. (Wikepedia)

6. Old Biotechnologies • People have used plants and animals for food and other purposes for thousands of years (wheat, maize or corn, cattle, horses, dogs, potatoes, etc.) • People have improved these plants and animals and the products that come from them

7. Examples of products produced by ancient (and modern biotech) • Food.. Meats, Grains, Vegetables, cheese • Clothing.. furs, leather, cotton, wool • Beverages.. wine, beer (produced by microbes) • Medicines.. Seneca, willow bark (aspirin)

8. Modern Biotechnology and Enzymes • Old biotechnologies often involved enzymes, but people didn’t know it. (wine, beer, cheese, leathers,) • In modern biotech, we deliberately use enzymes because of their many abilities such as operating at lower temp, being reusable, only affecting their target reaction

9. Examples of Enzymes in Biotech Baking: • Cause the breakdown of starch in the flour to sugar. Yeast action on sugar produces carbon dioxide. Used in production of white bread, buns, and rolls.

10. Baby Foods • Trypsin predigests protein for baby foods Brewing Industry • Proteases remove cloudiness in stored beer • Amylase used to breakdown starches in the malt Barley for making beer

11. Cheese • Rennin from the stomachs of calves and lambs used to break down milk proteins to make cheese • Lipase, used to produce the flavours in blue cheeses

12. Pulp and Paper • Amylases: Breakdown starches in the paper • Xylanase: reduces the amount of bleach used to lighten the paper

13. Biofuels 3D view of Cellulase • Cellulases:Break down plant matter into sugars that can be fermented into alcohol that can be used to make “Gas-ohol” fuel.

14. Biological Detergent • Amylases,Proteases, Lipases to breakdown protein, oil, fat and starch stains. • Enzymes help replace phosphates which were a major pollutant in old detergents. (Phosphates cause algae problems in Lake Winnipeg)

15. Molecular Biology • Various enzymes are used in genetic engineering • important in drug manufacturing, agriculture and medicine. • Essential for many processes in molecular biology • Molecular biology is also important in forensic science. DNA Model