Enzymes are used in many industries. They help break down substances like starch, lipids, and proteins. In washing powders, enzymes like lipase and protease help break down greasy stains and protein residues. In food production, enzymes extract fruit juices, soften biscuits, and make fruit juices clearer. During seed germination, amylase breaks down starch into maltose to provide energy for the growing embryo. Many enzymes are obtained from microorganisms grown in fermenters under specific temperature, pH, and nutrient conditions needed for their growth and reproduction. The fungus Penicillium produces the antibiotic penicillin when cultivated in a fermenter, secreting the product after an initial growth phase.

1. Making use of enzymes
• Washing powders
• Food industry
• Germination of seeds
• Antibiotic penicillin

2. Washing powder

3. Biological washing powders
• Contain:
- lipase: greasy stains
- protease: eggs, blood
• Advantage: they work at lower temperatures,
so less water heating is needed, and clothes
don´t shrink.

4. Food industry
• Fruit juices: are extracted using pectinase. It breaks
down pectin and is much easier to squeeze juice
from the fruit. It also makes the juice clear rather
than cloudy.
• Biscuits: - isomerase: converts glucose to fructose,
which is sweeter so less needs to be used in
slimmers biscuits.
- protease: softens glutens, making the roller
of biscuits easier

5. Germination of seeds
• Amylase is found in seeds.
• When the seed begins to germinate, it
catalyses the break down of insoluble starch
to soluble maltose.
• The maltose is used by the growing embryo : -
as an energy source
- to make cellulose for new cell
walls.

6. We obtain many enzymes from
microorganisms
• Bacteria
• Microscopic fungi, such as yeast.
• They are grown inside fermenters.
• Conditions needed to grow and reproduce:?

8. The fungus penicillium makes penicillin
• The antibiotic penicillin is made by cultivating the
fungus in a fermenter.
• The fermenter is kept at the correct ph and
temperature for the enzymes of the fungus to work
well. What else do they need to grow?
• Its enzymes convert a substrate to a desired product.
Which one?
• First 15-24 hs. The fungus just grow.
• Then, it begins to secrete penicillin, which is
collected from the liquid part of the culture.