22.4 Microorganisms and biotechnology

Question 1

what is biotechnology?

Answer 1

the industrial use of living organisms to produce food, drugs etc

Question 2

what organisms are used mainly in biotechnology?

Answer 2

microorganisms
such as bacteria and fungi

Question 3

why are microorganisms used in biotechnology?

Answer 3

their ideal conditions can be easily maintained

they grow rapidly so products are produced quicker

can grow on rubbish (cheap materials needed for growth)

can be grown at any time of the year

Question 4

what are the conditions which effect the function of microorganisms?

Answer 4

pH
temperature
conc of nutrients
moisture levels
gas

Question 5

how are enzymes involved in biotechnology?

Answer 5

microorganisms have their own intracellular enzymes which increase the rate of production and keeps costs lower

Question 6

in what ways are microorganisms used in industrial processes?

Answer 6

brewing
baking
cheese making
yoghurt production
penecillin production
insulin production
bioremediation

Question 7

what kind of microorganism is yeast?

Answer 7

fungi

Question 8

microorganisms involved in brewing

Answer 8

yeast respires anaerobically to produce ethanol

Question 9

outline brewing

Answer 9

barley is inoculated with yeast to provide the sugars needed for yeast to respire anaerobically to produce ethanol

ethanol is then conditioned, filtered and pasteurised into beer and stored

Question 10

microorganisms involved in baking

Answer 10

yeast respires aerobically to produce CO2 which causes bread to rise

Question 11

outline baking

Answer 11

active yeast is mixed with bread ingredients and left in warm environment

dough is kneaded to remove excess air

dough is cooked in a hot oven which allows CO2 bubbles to expand and cause the bread to rise

Question 12

microorganisms involved in making cheese

Answer 12

bacteria feed on lactose in milk which changes the texture and taste

Question 13

outline cheese-making

Answer 13

pasteurised milk is added to a bacterial culture to separate milk into solid curd and whey

curd is cut and cooked in the whey

pressed in steel drums and then left to dry, mature and ripen

Question 14

microorganisms involved in yoghurt-making

Answer 14

bacteria produce extra-cellular polymers used to make yoghurt smooth and thick

Question 15

outline yoghurt-making

Answer 15

milk is mixed with the bacteria in an incubator

lactic acid bacteria clot the milk and cause it to thicken

Question 16

what is SCP?

Answer 16

single-cell protein

fungus which we can eat as a source of protein

Question 17

how is Quorn produced?

Answer 17

microorganisms are combined with albumen and then compressed

Question 18

why is Quorn healthy?

Answer 18

high in protein and low in fat

Question 19

why was Quorn popular from release?

Answer 19

had a good taste and received international recognition

also was not branded as fungi, instead branded as mycoprotein which meant people were not put off

Question 20

adv of using microorganisms to produce human food

Answer 20

they reproduce fast so can produce protein faster

have high protein and little fat

can use waste material to grow which reduces costs

can be genetically modified to produce specific protein

can occur in any conditions (not weather or season dependent)

no welfare/ethical issues with using microorganisms

Question 21

dis of using microorganisms to produce human ffod

Answer 21

microorganisms may produce toxins

sterile conditions are needed for production (more cost)

ethical concerns over eating GM food

many dont like the idea of eating microorganisms grown on waste

has little natural flavour or texture