Medical and Industrial Applications of Enzymes
- Created by: Emily Cartwright
- Created on: 28-03-14 14:00
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- Medical and Industrial applications of Enzymes
- Industrial uses of Enzymes
- Enzymes have special properties that can be used in many areas of biotechnology
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- Biological washing powders and liquids contain enzymes to remove stains
- Proteases: Digest proteins in egg, milk and blood
- Lipases: Digest fats
- Cellulases: Sometimes added to get rid of the fluff that dulls the colour of worn fabrics
- Enzymes added to detergents must work well at pH 9-11 and must be stable in heat so will work in hot water
- The food processing industry uses pectinase to thicken the juices extracted form crushed fruit. It also makes hte juice clear again
- Enzymes have special properties that can be used in many areas of biotechnology
- Biosensors
- Used for rapid detection of metabolites (biologically important molecules)
- They are specific (as they contain a specific immobilised enzyme) so can detect one type of molecule in a mixture
- Simple Biosensors
- Involve the use of a plastic ***** (clinistix) with an immobilised enzyme attached
- If the metabolite is present, colour change occurs
- They can be used to diagnose medical conditions e.g. diabetes, however they only produce qualitative data and only indicates if the metabolite is present or not
- Digital Biosensors
- Modern biosensors measure the concentration of a metabolite by converting chemical energy into electrical impulses
- They are sensitive and can accurately measure the concentration of molecules even in very low concentrations
- They can be used by diabetics to monitor blood glucose concentraion or by environmental scientists monitoring levels of pollution
- Consist of;
- A transducer/electrode
- Absorbs/combines with the product and converts the chemical energy to an electrical signal
- The strength of hte signal is directly proportional to the concentration of hte product present
- Immobilised Enzymes
- If the metabolite is present it will bind to the active site of the enzyme and be converted into a product
- The concentration of product formed will be directly proportional to the concentration of the metabolite
- A display
- This electrical signal can then be amplified and recorded
- Qualitative data will be given regarding the concentration of the metabolite
- Selectively Permeable Membrane
- Allows the metabolite to diffuse through to the immobilised enzyme
- Prevents the passage of any other enzyme molecule so that they can't affect the activity of the enzyme or inhibit it
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- A transducer/electrode
- Industrial uses of Enzymes
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