22.4 - Microbiology and Biotechnology

Question 1

examples of biotechnology and WHY

Answer 1

• making cheese + yoghurt
  Lactobacillus is used to ferment
  lactose, clot milk proteins and
  flavour the product.
• tanning leather using human
  urine comes from a living
  organism and is used to make a
  product.
• making antibiotics
  only if the antibioticc is synthesised from fungi
• using bacteria to clean the oil off drilling equipment
  microorganisms are being used
• a compost heap
  decomposers release heat and methane which can be collected

Question 2

examples of not using biotechnology and WHY

Question 3

reasons to use microorganisms

Answer 3

• grow rapidly
• produce proteins and metabolites into the surrounding medium which can be harvested
• can be genetically engineered
• grow at relatively low temperatures
• can be grown anywhere in the world
• produce pure products
• grow on otherwise useless or toxic or waste materials

Question 4

what is biotechnology?

Answer 4

• the industrial use of living organisms (or biological processes) to produce food, drugs and other products

Question 5

the two methods to use biotechnology:

Answer 5

• enzymes
• microorganisms

Question 6

how are enzymes used in biotechnology?

Answer 6

• biological detergents
• biofuel production
• fruit juice extraction

Question 7

examples of indirect food production:

Answer 7

• baking
• brewing
• cheese-making
• yoghurt-making

Question 8

what is the microorganism involved in baking?

Answer 8

• yeast

Question 9

what is the microorganism involved in brewing?

Answer 9

• yeast

Question 10

what is the microorganism involved in cheese-making?

Answer 10

• bacteria

Question 11

what is the microorganism involved in yoghurt-making?

Answer 11

• bacteria

Question 12

how are microorganisms used in brewing?

Answer 12

• yeast is added to a grain and other ingredients
• yeast respires anaerobically using the glucose from the grain and produces ethanol
• this is known as fermentation

Question 13

how are microorganisms used in baking?

Answer 13

• yeast is the organism that can make bread rise
• the CO2 produced by fermentation os sugars in the dough make sure it doesn’t remain flat
  -flatbreads are made without yeast

Question 14

how are microorganisms used in cheese-making?

Answer 14

-

Question 15

how are microorganisms used in yoghurt-making?

Question 16

explain penicillin production:

Question 17

explain insulin production:

Question 18

advantages of using microorganisms

Answer 18

• production of a protein can be much faster than if
  made by an animal or plant
• production can be increased/ decreased according to demand
• no animal welfare issues
• protein contains no animal fat or cholesterol
• microorganisms can be GM to adjust the amino acid
  content of the protein
• not affected by seasonal variations
• not much land is needed

Question 19

disadvantages of using microorganisms:

Answer 19

• some people may not want to eat fungal protein or food grown on
  waste
• need to isolate the protein from the medium it is grown in
• protein has to be purified
• culture can become infected easily due to optimum growing
  conditions
• different taste/texture to traditional protein sources