Microorganisms and Biotechnology

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What is biotechnology?
Applying biological organisms or enzymes to the synthesis, break down or transformation of materials in service of people
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What is bioremediation?
The process of using biological systems to remove soil and water pollution
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Why is the use of microorganisms in biotechnology cheaper?
The nutrient requirements of the microorganisms are relatively cheap and microorganisms can be GMed to use materials that otherwise would be wasted, they also produce their own catalysts
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What other advantages are there in using microorganisms?
No welfare issues, enormous range of microorganisms can be used for many different jobs, you can artificially manipulate them to carry out synthesis reactions needed (e.g. produce insulin), very short life cycle and rapid growth (greater quantities)
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What is meant by the term 'indirect food production'?
When microorganisms are used indirectly to produce foods, it is their actions on the food that helps produce it, the microorganisms themselves aren't the food
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Give examples of some foods made by indirect food production
Bread, beer, cheese, yogurt
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Baking bread
Yeast- added to mixture and left in warm place to rise, dough needed to release excess gas, then baked, CO2 bubbles expand and bread rises and yeast cells die
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Brewing beer
Malting- barley germinates & produced enzymes breaking down starch down to sugars for yeast, seeds killed, mashing- malt is mixed with hot water and enzymes break down starch to form wort, fermentation- wort is fermented then left to mature
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Cheese making
Bacteria used, milk pasteurised and homogenised (fat droplets distributed through milk), mixed with bacteria cultures, milk separates into curds and liquid whey, curds cut and cooked in the whey then strained and kept in drums to dry and mature
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Yogurt making
Bacteria used which produce extracellular polymers, skimmed milk powder added to milk and pasteurised & homogenised & cooled, mixed with bacteria and incubated, end of fermentation the yogurt is formed
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What is direct food production?
Using microorganisms directly to produce protein you can eat, e.g. quorn
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What is quorn made of?
A single celled fungus grown in fermenters using glucose syrup
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Advantages of using microorganisms to produce human food
Produce protein fast, high protein content with little fat, can use a lot of waste materials, GMed to produce required protein, not dependent on weather/ breeding cycles etc, rate increased or decreased to meet demand, no welfare issues
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Disadvantages of using microorganisms to produce human food
Produce toxins if conditions are maintained, need sterile conditions, involved GM organisms which people have concerns with, proteins have to be purified, people dislike the thought of eating microbes grown on waste, little natural flavour
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What is bioremediation?

Back

The process of using biological systems to remove soil and water pollution

Card 3

Front

Why is the use of microorganisms in biotechnology cheaper?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What other advantages are there in using microorganisms?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What is meant by the term 'indirect food production'?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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