Enzymes in everyday life

Do you know that we use enzymes everyday ?

Have you wondered how detergents clean up clothes? or How the food is being digested? How are cheese made?


All these process happens with the assistance of enzymes.


What are enzymes?
 
Enzymes are proteins that catalyse a reaction. The molecules on which the enzymes act are called substrates, and the study of enzymes is called enzymology.


Lets check out a number of enzymes used everyday.






1. Detergents

The detergents utilized in washing and cleaning of the dirt's in clothes is by the utilization of enzymes Protease, Lipases, Amylases.

Dirt comes in many forms such as proteins, lipids and starch.
Lipids are nothing but oils we use in cooking. By simply watching the word Protease we will tell that it degrades proteins, likewise lipases degrades lipids and Amylase degrades starch into simple sugars.
By using these enzymes provides efficient cleaning of the dirt.

2. Bread Making

Bakers Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Yeast is that the ingredient utilized in bread making. Yeast makes the dough rise doubling its size leavening . This occurs by the release of CO2 gas, which is produced by the yeast enzymes which breakdown the sugars present in the bread dough.

Zymase and Maltase are the enzymes produced by the yeast. These enzymes utilize the sugars releasing Co2 and ethanol. 

Maltase produced by the yeast breaksdown the complex sugars present in the bread to simple sugars which is then utilized as food for yeast thereby releasing Co2 and ethanol.

3. Papaya

Papaya contain enzyme Papain. Papain is proteolytic enzyme called papain proteinase, which suggests that it breakdowns protein.
So it is used to tenderize meat, meat contains complex protein which must be weakened into simpler proteins for digestion and absorption in our body.
In addition to tenderizing of meat it also utilized in treating wound.

Fruits containing protease enzyme

• Fruits like papaya, kiwifruit these fruits favours the speed up of protein degradation also in medicinal use for increasing the platelet count during a Dengue fever.

• Pineapple contain Bromelain which is used for wound healing and digests proteins.

• Fig fruit contains ficin which is a proteolytic enzyme acts as deworming medicine.

4. Mouth Salivary amylase

 Present in saliva called salivary amylase which converts starch to its sugars (disaccharides or trisaccharides)

Though amylase is produced by your salivary glands in mouth. The only thing you have to do is to chew and eat.

5. Jam production

Pectinase are used in jam production. Pectinase enzyme plays a crucial role in extraction of fruit crush from fruits.

6. Cheese Making and Dairy Products

Enzymes are used in diary products to coagulate milk ,curdles milk and separates whey. 

Lipases are the enzymes used which breakdown fats to give a characteristic flavour to cheese.

7. Brewing industries 

Amylase and Cellulase are used in beer production in brewing industries . Alpha amylase and beta amylase are utilized in the mashing and malting of barley for the beer production.

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7 Science Experiments for Students | Academic experiments

Here are some simple 7 Science Experiments for School students need to learn for their academic purpose 

1. OSMOSIS
2. CAPILLARY ACTION EXPERIMENT
3. WATER DROP IN OIL EXPERIMENT (SURFACE TENSION)
4. DENSITY
5. CENTER OF GRAVITY
6. ILLUSION
7. INERTIA

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Potato Osmosis Experiment

Potato Osmosis Experiment

Learn how osmosis takes place with an easy experiment with potato.

 

Osmosis is the movement of solvent from a lower concentration to higher concentration through a semipermeable membrane (porous membrane). The solvent typically refers to water but can be any other liquids.

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Stress buster during Covid-19 lockdown | Make hexagon decorative lamp

Stress Buster during Covid-19 Lockdown. Make your own home made DIY decorating light using paper

 Here is a way to reduce stress and anxiety due to this covid-19 lockdown.

For this you need:

• A4 sheet paper
• A pair of scissors or a paper cutting blade (recommended for precision cutting)
• Glue
• LED 
• connecting wires 
• A button cell or battery  (2 or 3 volts depending upon the type of LED used)
• Button battery holder  or water bottle cap
• A thread
• Arduino for blinking or for an automation (optional)
• A compass
• scale

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Do you think coral reef is a plant?
Nope,

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INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT MUSHROOMS| FUNGI

Mushrooms belong to a group of fungi consisting of a network of hair like structures called hyphae. When conditions are suitable, the hyphae (branching thread like filaments of fungus) push upwards out of the soil to form a mushroom.

Another interesting fact is that yeast's are also classified under the kingdom fungi along with mushrooms and molds.

1. Fungus do not make their own food like plants, instead they feed on dead and organic matter and reproduce through fruiting bodies.

2. Hyphae, which are the branching filaments of a fungus are spread through whatever its feeding on like dead leaves or rotting fruit. Hyphae releases particular type of enzymes that digest their surroundings into a slurry of nutrients. These nutrients thus gets absorbed by the hyphae providing the fungus energy for growth.

3. There are more than 100,000 species of fungi known till date, some fungi are delicious to eat, some molds produce antibiotics which kills bacteria, such as penicillin. Cyclosporin is a drug which isolated from a to stop body rejecting transplanted organs, such as kidneys. Some fungi are highly poisonous and even kill. 

4.  "Humongous fungus" or honey fungus is the biggest fungus in the world.

5. The most valuable fungus is the white truffle which is five times more costlier than silver by weight.  

6. A type of fungus known as the puffball releases billions of spores. A slight tap or a drop of rainfall can trigger the release clouds of spores to puff out through a hole in puffball's cap.

 

Source:

•  https://www.wikipedia.org/
• Ask me anything DK publications book

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DID YOU KNOW FACTS

 

1. Why did Archimedes shout "EUREKA" ?

 The ancient Greek Scientist was trying to seek out a way of determining whether a crown was made of pure gold.  

While pondering the problem Archimedes climbed into his bath tub and saw the water level rise.                                                    

                                                                

He realized that he could compare the quantity of pure gold within the crown with a lump of pure gold of the equivalent weight by submerging them and comparing the rise in water level. He leapt out of his bath and cried "EUREKA"! ("I have found").

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